A British study recently took a look at incidents in which pedestrians have been struck by cars. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, found that walkers are twice as likely to be hit by electric or hybrid vehicles as gas-powered ones.
The apparent reason for the difference in collision rates? Electric and hybrid cars are much quieter than the gas-powered variety, and are therefore less likely to give pedestrians a sound warning of their approach, particularly in noisy urban areas.
The study looked at collisions from 2013 to 2017, so the data is dated, and there are a few caveats to the findings. First, the pedestrian-vehicle collision data from the U.K. did not identify vehicle type in connection with a number of accidents. Second, researchers noted that younger people are more likely to own an electric vehicle, and therefore some of the accidents may simply have been due to inexperienced drivers rather than the silent running of hybrids and EVs.
Still, if you’re a pedestrian in an urban area, the study highlights a risk of electric vehicles: they are definitely a lot quieter and can sneak up on you if you’re not paying careful attention when you cross the street. Those of us who took Driver’s Ed back in the ’70s learned that when you were crossing railroad tracks you should always “stop, look, and listen” to ensure no train was approaching before proceeding. For walkers in urban areas, the rule should be “stop, look, and then look again” to make sure one of those quiet electric cars isn’t in the vicinity before stepping off the curb.
Webner House 