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Pedestrian sparks discussion after sharing photo of dangerous trend impacting US vehicles — here's what's happening

"It's good companies are trying to make it safer in the car, but what about the people out of the car."

"It's good companies are trying to make it safer in the car, but what about the people out of the car."

Photo Credit: Reddit

As pickup trucks get bigger, they become more dangerous, too.

This Redditor couldn't believe the size of this truck parked on the sidewalk, and they shared a photo to show just how unsafe they can be.

"It's good companies are trying to make it safer in the car, but what about the people out of the car."
Photo Credit: Reddit

"My six year old nephew in front of a Ford F150," they wrote.

The photo shows a child in front of a Ranger Raptor, which, according to Ford, is around 6'3" tall and 6'8" wide. 

Trucks are becoming bigger and bigger. In just 30 years, "U.S. pickup trucks have added almost 1,300 pounds on average. Some of the biggest vehicles on the market now weigh almost 7,000 pounds — or about three Honda Civics," per Bloomberg.

Truck drivers will try to justify the enormous size by labeling the trucks as work vehicles. However, a majority of pickup truck drivers aren't using them for work at all, as "a third of today's pickup owners rarely or never use their truck for hauling, while two-thirds rarely or never use it for towing," Axios reported.

Additionally, while the cab size is increasing, the bed size has actually shrunk. Axios also shared that "the first generation of F-150s was 36% cab and 64% bed by length. By 2021, the ratio flipped, with 63% cab and 37% bed."

Because of their size, drivers can't see over the hood, creating a large front blind spot that is very dangerous for pedestrians — and especially for children. 

In fact, trucks, and specifically the Ford F-Series, are involved in the highest number of fatal crashes — Value Penguin called them the "deadliest car on the road."

Not only are they risky for drivers and pedestrians, but they're bad for the planet, too. Transportation-related air pollution is the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, and American pickup trucks and SUVs emit more pollution than the average vehicle, per Quartz

Commenters couldn't believe the size of the vehicle.

"That's not a car, it's a tank," one user commented.

Another Redditor asked: "It's good companies are trying to make it safer in the car, but what about the people OUT of the car."

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