You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin from News Talks EDB Gosh.

You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin from News Talks EDB Gosh.

We love our SUVs in our utes, don't we. We know that there are some downsides to that. We know they're not great for the environment and they can cause a bit a congestion on the road. But something else has come to light about how safe they make our roads. Joining me now to talk us through the latest studies is Lori Winklers. Good morning, Lurie.

We love our SUVs in our utes, don't we. We know that there are some downsides to that. We know they're not great for the environment and they can cause a bit a congestion on the road. But something else has come to light about how safe they make our roads. Joining me now to talk us through the latest studies is Lori Winklers. Good morning, Lurie.

Cut a fantasica. I love you to be here.

Cut a fantasica. I love you to be here.

Good to talk to you too. Now tell me a little bit about the latest studies that have been taking a look at the safety of SUVs.

Good to talk to you too. Now tell me a little bit about the latest studies that have been taking a look at the safety of SUVs.

Yeah, so this is looking particularly at the impact of SUVs on pedestrians and cyclists. So this is from a group of researchers in the UK and they did what's known as a meta analysis, So they effectually did a big, huge review of existing studies and combined those with the most reliable data and in the end they ended up looking at six hundred eighty two thousand real world crash victims from the past thirty five years, specifically looking at cars, SUVs, pedestrians and cyclists, and they found that in a crash, pedestrians and cyclists struck by an SUV suffered more severe injuries than those that were involving a passenger car. But they also had a huge impact on fatality rates too. So they showed in this study that across all of their crashes, pedestrians or cyclists are forty four percent more likely to be killed if they're struck by an SUV rather than a passenger car. And for children, the statistics are even worse. So a child struck by an SUV is eighty two percent more likely to be killed than a child struck by a passenger car.

Yeah, so this is looking particularly at the impact of SUVs on pedestrians and cyclists. So this is from a group of researchers in the UK and they did what's known as a meta analysis, So they effectually did a big, huge review of existing studies and combined those with the most reliable data and in the end they ended up looking at six hundred eighty two thousand real world crash victims from the past thirty five years, specifically looking at cars, SUVs, pedestrians and cyclists, and they found that in a crash, pedestrians and cyclists struck by an SUV suffered more severe injuries than those that were involving a passenger car. But they also had a huge impact on fatality rates too. So they showed in this study that across all of their crashes, pedestrians or cyclists are forty four percent more likely to be killed if they're struck by an SUV rather than a passenger car. And for children, the statistics are even worse. So a child struck by an SUV is eighty two percent more likely to be killed than a child struck by a passenger car.

Okay, that is not right news. What about for occupants? Did they learn anything about safety for occupants of an ECUV?

Okay, that is not right news. What about for occupants? Did they learn anything about safety for occupants of an ECUV?

Yeah, great question, This good question. They didn't look at it in this particular study. That there have been lots of other studies that have looked at occupants. And to be honest, the reality of whether SUVs are safer for occupants is a bit complicated, more complicated than I expected. So in a head on crash, for example, between a car and an SUV, generally the driver of the car comes out less well from that situation. But we also know that because SUVs are taller, they are more likely to roll over in a crash, for example, and their stiff structure might mean that when an impact happens, if the passenger will experience what's called higher deceleration, so they'll stop quicker, which can actually cause injuries in themselves. So it's not that clear that necessarily that they're even safer for occupants, but we know for sure from this huge meta analysis that they are much more dangerous for everyone else on the road.

Yeah, great question, This good question. They didn't look at it in this particular study. That there have been lots of other studies that have looked at occupants. And to be honest, the reality of whether SUVs are safer for occupants is a bit complicated, more complicated than I expected. So in a head on crash, for example, between a car and an SUV, generally the driver of the car comes out less well from that situation. But we also know that because SUVs are taller, they are more likely to roll over in a crash, for example, and their stiff structure might mean that when an impact happens, if the passenger will experience what's called higher deceleration, so they'll stop quicker, which can actually cause injuries in themselves. So it's not that clear that necessarily that they're even safer for occupants, but we know for sure from this huge meta analysis that they are much more dangerous for everyone else on the road.

Laurie I was also really interested to say that the Kresh study supports the decision by a growing number of cities as well to kind of encourage least of the use of SUV's end utes on these streets.

Laurie I was also really interested to say that the Kresh study supports the decision by a growing number of cities as well to kind of encourage least of the use of SUV's end utes on these streets.

Yeah, totally. So there's actually lots and lots of cities that are trying to do things like making it more expensive to park larger cars on their streets. So Paris is one of the cities doing that the most. But places in the UK in particular, they're really leading with banning advertising of vehicles like SUVs or even airlines in some cases within their cities because they see it as and I quote today's tobacco. So cities are really trying a lot of them are trying to push down and discourage or disincentivize the purchase and use of these massive, super sized vehicles on streets that were not designed for them.

Yeah, totally. So there's actually lots and lots of cities that are trying to do things like making it more expensive to park larger cars on their streets. So Paris is one of the cities doing that the most. But places in the UK in particular, they're really leading with banning advertising of vehicles like SUVs or even airlines in some cases within their cities because they see it as and I quote today's tobacco. So cities are really trying a lot of them are trying to push down and discourage or disincentivize the purchase and use of these massive, super sized vehicles on streets that were not designed for them.

Laurie, thank you so much for filling in for doctor Micheldikinson. We've really appreciated it over the last a couple of weey

Laurie, thank you so much for filling in for doctor Micheldikinson. We've really appreciated it over the last a couple of weey

For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.

For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.