Biplab Das 
Hybrid and electric vehicles are more likely to strike pedestrians compared to their petrol or diesel counterparts, particularly in urban environments, according to a recent analysis of British road traffic accidents. This data analysis highlights potential safety risks associated with the rise of eco-friendly vehicles.
The study, which examined 32 billion miles of battery-powered car travel and 3 trillion miles of petrol and diesel car travel, revealed that mile-for-mile, electric and hybrid cars are twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars. In urban areas, these eco-friendly vehicles are three times more likely to be involved in pedestrian collisions.
Factors contributing to increased risk
Researchers suspect several factors contribute to the increased risk posed by electric and hybrid cars. Phil Edwards, a professor of epidemiology and statistics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the study’s lead author, pointed out that electric cars’ quieter operation might be a significant factor. “Electric cars are a hazard to pedestrians because they are less likely to be heard than petrol or diesel cars,” Edwards explained. He also noted that the younger, less experienced demographic of electric car drivers could play a role.
Government measures and recommendations
Edwards emphasised the need for government intervention to mitigate these risks, particularly as the UK moves towards phasing out petrol and diesel cars. “The government needs to mitigate these risks if they are going to phase out the sale of petrol and diesel cars,” he said. He suggested that drivers transitioning to electric cars need to be extra cautious due to the vehicles’ quiet nature. “Pedestrians have learned to navigate roads by listening for traffic. Drivers of these vehicles need to be extra cautious.”
Comparative data from the US
Supporting these findings, a 2017 report from the US Department of Transportation found that electric and hybrid cars posed a 20% higher risk to pedestrians than petrol and diesel cars. The risk increased to 50% during low-speed manoeuvres, such as turning, reversing, starting into traffic, and stopping.
UK road accident data analysis
The UK study, conducted by Edwards and his colleagues, analysed travel and road accident data from 2013 to 2017. The analysis included 916,713 casualties, of which 120,197 were pedestrians, with over 96,000 hit by a car or taxi. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that while most vehicles on the road are petrol or diesel, battery-powered cars were significantly more dangerous for the same distance travelled. The average annual pedestrian casualty rate per 100 million miles travelled was 5.16 for electric and hybrid cars, compared to 2.4 for petrol and diesel cars.
Urban vs rural collision rates
The researchers found that in rural settings, battery-powered cars were no more dangerous than petrol or diesel vehicles. However, in towns and cities, these cars were three times more likely to collide with pedestrians.
Acoustic vehicle alerting systems
To address this issue, since July 2019, all new hybrid and electric vehicles sold in Europe are required to have an acoustic vehicle alerting system that emits sound when the car is travelling slowly. However, many existing electric cars on the road lack these devices. Edwards suggested that retrofitting these systems to older electric cars could be a significant step forward. “If government made sure these systems were installed in all electric vehicles and retrofitted them to older electric cars, that would be a good start,” he said. Edwards also mentioned that updating the Green Cross Code to reflect these new risks could be beneficial.
Weight and acceleration concerns
Edwards also noted that the weight and swift acceleration of electric cars could contribute to their increased danger. Electric vehicles tend to be heavier than petrol cars, sometimes weighing twice as much, which increases stopping distances. “If the government is planning to promote a transition to electric cars, then that will bring some risk to pedestrians unless we take care of this,” Edwards concluded.
As the transition to electric vehicles accelerates, addressing the safety concerns highlighted by this study will be crucial. Ensuring that pedestrians are protected and that drivers are aware of the unique challenges posed by quieter, heavier vehicles will be essential for the safe integration of electric cars into urban environments.
