Aarp backs improved measures to protect pedestrians

Pedestrian deaths from traffic crashes are on the rise and AARP is advocating for improved auto safety features to protect those traveling on foot. Overall, motor vehicle deaths are

dropping, but pedestrian deaths from auto accidents reached a 41-year high in 2022, the latest data available. New federal rules proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) would make vehicles safer for drivers and for those walking along the street. The NHTSA proposal would establish a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, requiring

new passenger vehicles to be designed to reduce the risk of serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians. AARP supports those proposals but is urging NHTSA to go further. In a Nov. 18 letter

to the federal agency, we called attention to the risks to pedestrians, especially older adults who are more at risk of serious injury and death. "Walking is a component of nearly every

trip taken, whether it is the only mode of travel or part of a multimodal trip," David Certner, legislative counsel and legislative policy director at AARP, wrote to the NHTSA in

public comments on the new rules. "Incorporating pedestrian safety needs into vehicle design is a critical step toward increasing safety for everyone, including older adults, who are

most acutely at risk as pedestrians." OLDER ADULTS FACE HIGHER RISK Adults 65 and older made up nearly a fifth of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022, Certner noted, and are more likely

than younger people to die in crashes due to increased frailty. Further, the share of traffic deaths has shifted more toward those outside the vehicle, NHTSA reports, with pedestrian deaths

going from 10 percent of traffic deaths in 1996 to a high of 36 percent in 2022. LEARN HOW AARP IS FIGHTING FOR YOU​ AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus.

 Read more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.​​ ​ The proposed standard would establish test procedures simulating a head-to-hood impact. Testers

would need to include human-like models of heads, or headforms, to measure the impact, and make sure they are using headforms that represent a diverse range of pedestrians, from a small

child to an adult. The rule would also establish performance requirements to minimize the risk of head injuries. NHTSA estimates the new standard, if adopted, would save 67 lives a year.