While it's no secret that trucks and cars in the U.S. have grown in size, a recent post on Reddit highlights just how ridiculously big some vehicles have become.
The outraged onlooker captured photos of a modern truck next to a person who stands 5 feet, 10 inches, and their head is barely above the height of the hood.
The poster called the design of these trucks "absolute insanity," and many people in the comments agreed, with one person writing, "It's a weapon," and another replying: "They're more like tanks than cars."
Large trucks and cars can pose serious safety risks because the height of the hoods reduces visibility, making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians — especially children. The blind spots caused by the dangerously high hoods are responsible for "frontover" accidents that kill, on average, 60 children every year and injure thousands more, according to Kids and Car Safety.
In addition to posing a threat to pedestrians, the high hoods also make it difficult for drivers to see smaller cars and cyclists, increasing the chance of collisions. A study published by the National Library of Medicine found that cyclists who collided with SUVs had more severe injuries than those who collided with smaller cars. Moreover, the study found that SUVs were more likely to throw cyclists to the ground, run them over, and cause great head injuries. The differences found were attributed to the size and shape of the front end of the large vehicles.
Large trucks and SUVs also emit more pollution than smaller cars, negatively impacting human health and the environment. People who live, work, or attend school close to major roads are more likely to suffer from asthma, cardiovascular disease, childhood leukemia, and premature death because of traffic pollution, per the Environmental Protection Agency. Downsizing your vehicle or switching to an electric vehicle can help mitigate these risks, leading to a cleaner and cooler planet for all.
"This should actually be forbidden," one outraged commenter wrote.
Another commented: "It should be illegal to sell a vehicle that is this deadly to pedestrians."
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