Car bonnet heights

[GingerBeverage]

I don't understand how they pass safety tests?

In crashes, high-bonneted SUVs are more likely to strike the vital organs in the core of adults’ bodies and the heads of children. Hitting pedestrians above their centre of gravity means they are more likely to be knocked forward and down and then be driven over. In contrast, low bonnets tend to hit pedestrians’ legs, giving them a greater chance of falling on to the vehicle and being deflected to the side.
The report, by the advocacy group Transport & Environment (T&E), found that the average bonnet height of new cars sold in Europe rose from 77cm in 2010 to 84cm in 2024.
The rise matches booming sales of SUVs from 12% to 56% of all cars over the same period, with the increasing size of vehicles being described as “carspreading” or “autobesity”. SUVs are also 20% more polluting on average and this rise in sales is cancelling out the reduction in climate-heating CO2 due to electric vehicles and fuel efficiency improvements.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/11/ever-rising-height-car-bonnets-suv-threat-to-children-report

@GingerBeverage my dh has had suv for many years but this year the suv are getting way too small for his country sport needs!! look at the range rovers (not that my dh has ever had one) they are now tiny!

So pedestrians as 2nd class citizens, whilst cars dominate?

If people were fined £500 for crossing the road anywhere other than a pedestrian crossing, attitudes would soon change.

I’d have to walk nearly ten miles to find my nearest pedestrian crossing, and I’d have to cross several roads to get to it.

I’ve got a zebra crossing practically right outside my flat. If I had a pound for every time a driver has completely ignored it while people waited to cross I’d be a rich woman. I’ve even had drivers swerve around me on the wrong side of the road because they don’t want to stop. Pedestrian crossings don’t always keep pedestrians safe, drivers need to do their part as well. If you don’t have good visibility all round your car, then you really shouldn’t be driving it.

This might be the case but statistics prove that you are more likely to kill someone if you hit them with an SUV as opposed to a lower car.

Cars are dangerous if you get hit by one, so keep away from them. Stop walking out in front of them. Problem solved. The height of the bonnet is irrelevant, trucks and vans are bigger

I was on foot and had to cross our road recently to avoid some workmen on my side. This meant inching out between two large SUVs (absolutely no need whatsoever for cars that big where we live here in suburbia). I couldn't see round them.

I was very nearly hit by an electric Range Rover coming along which I couldn't hear.

It's surely only a matter of time...

How many deaths did you witness? Sounds like it was a blood bath!

Exactly this! The problem is people are selfish and don’t care about pedestrians or indeed anyone else other than the occupants of their own vehicle. Because SUV’s feel (allegedly) safer for the driver and their passengers, they don’t give a monkeys that their perceived increase in safety come at the cost of increasing the danger for everyone else!

I drive a small (and low) 2 seater sports car. I love driving but it’s increasingly difficult as I have such little visibility because of all these bloody SUVs blocking any view of what’s happening ahead of me. And let’s not even get into the SUV drivers who seem to be incapable of actually manoeuvring their vehicles. Some of them really are quite dangerous and seem oblivious to what’s happening outside their little bubble. But then I’m very old fashioned when it comes to driving. I prefer a manual as changing gears is part of driving for me and I enjoy the feel of the car. Automatics, cruise control and parking sensors etc seem to mean that the standard of driving has actually lowered because people can effectively just ‘point and shoot’ rather than having to concentrate/pay attention to the road and what’s happening around them.

Exactly this! The problem is people are selfish and don’t care about pedestrians or indeed anyone else other than the occupants of their own vehicle. Because SUV’s feel (allegedly) safer for the driver and their passengers, they don’t give a monkeys that their perceived increase in safety come at the cost of increasing the danger for everyone else!

If you drive anything at all, even in a small two seat sports car, you have to accept that you are posing a risk to yourself, your passengers, other road users and pedestrians.

The only way to keep everybody safe is to stay at home or, if you have to go out, walk.

This^

Same thing today at the supermarket car park. Whatever giant SUV was next to me, no way could I, in my little Toyota Corolla, see over the bonnet to check oncoming traffic as I tried to turn right.

Don't get me started on drivers that don't even bother to reverse into car park spaces. The rear of your car is, almost invariably, neither low enough to see over OR transparent.

Last week, none. But I spent over a decade of my career directly supporting people, including minors, whose lives were damaged permanently by the actions of drivers. Does this deserve a smug reply as well?

I’ve got a zebra crossing practically right outside my flat. If I had a pound for every time a driver has completely ignored it while people waited to cross I’d be a rich woman

Drivers are not required to stop for pedestrians waiting at a zebra crossing. They should and of course it is courteous to do so but they’re not breaking any laws.

So from this thread pedestrians can only cross at designated crossings but drivers have a choice whether to stop at them or not?

Wearing the hard hat IS taking responsibility 🙄.

Your example would be compatible if the construction worker DIDN'T wear a hard hat.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-pedestrian-factsheet-2023/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-pedestrian-factsheet-2023#main-findings
A much higher proportion of collisions were attributed to pedestrians rather than drivers not paying due care (Section 10, Table 5)

Yes, and I guess if you were run over outside your house because you didn't look when stepping out onto the road, you would blame the driver of the car that hit you?

Would a pavement and proper marked pedestrian crossing near your house make it safer for you to cross the road?

That's my point.

Maybe not major but 60/40

Just walk down the road to the nearest pedestrian crossing, one on each street, not one outside every gate. Walking along a road is a stupid thing to do, but it's less dangerous than crossing one.

Yes. Exactly.

Cars "dominate" the road, where they belong. Pedestrians "dominate" the pavement, where they belong.

Not if we installed a crossing on every street.

I don’t live on a street.

Situational awarness is lost on you isn't it?

Why didn't you walk back a few feet and cross at a spot which afforded you a better view of approaching traffic?

That would have been the responsible thing to do. You needlessly put your own life in danger.

Assuming they obey the law, pedestrians cannot realistically protect themselves from being struck by vehicles. However, vehicle design can minimise the risk. Why would any reasonable person seek to avoid this?

Depends on the circumstances. If the twat in the stolen car who demolished the gate had hit me (luckily I was safely indoors), no, it wouldn't have been my fault.

Pedestrians do stupid, unpredictable things sometimes, but drivers can also drive dangerously.

(No room for a pavement on our side of the road, but perhaps we could have our own personal crossing. Unfortunately when the estate was built in the early 60's they didn't know that in the future there would be so many cars, if it was built now I imagine the layout would be different and our garden a quarter of the size. The road we have to cross actually goes to what was a originally pub carpark, people seem averse to using it and would prefer to park on verges etc. rather than walk an extra 30 seconds to the shops.)

The crossing thing is a red herring. We use a crossing to get to school and most mornings at least one driver doesn't stop for the red light. Luckily it's taught my dc never to rely on the crossing and always look at the driver (much harder when they are behind a 30ft bonnet)