[paulnpace]

I had a 2008 version of a vehicle that I replaced just this year with a 2017 version of the same vehicle.

I have several times found pedestrians walking right in front of me and I slam on my brakes and the pedestrians yell at me as if I'm a negligent driver, yet previously I don't think I did such a thing more often than once every few years, if that.

What I have come to discover is that the front frame rail of the 2017 is so huge it blocks my view exactly where pedestrians step off of a curb into traffic, especially because the pedestrian is elevated on the curb and completely behind the frame rail.

I recognize that drivers should of course carefully inspect every intersection, but reality is that they cannot, and what pedestrians really need to do with these newer vehicles making up a larger percentage of the vehicles is make sure they can see the eyes of the driver, else the driver likely cannot see the pedestrian, at all.

[bombcar]

In all countries and ever since I can remember I treat every vehicle as a death machine out to kill me - the idea of doing a maneuver that requires the death machine to react correctly to me is as foreign to my thought as expecting a train to stop for me.

Still doesn’t mean we should ignore things like a pillars growing.

[acdha]

I agree with the problem but to me that sounds like those vehicles should have mandatory automatic braking systems to be considered street legal. There’s an arms race building them stronger to withstand impacts from large SUVs and trucks but that shouldn’t be used to justify making them less safe for everyone else. IIRC, the last figure for the SUV safety “improvement” had it at 4.3 additional lives outside the vehicle lost for every life inside saved.