Results

Based on data compiled from 32 billion miles of BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and more than 3 trillion miles of gasoline and diesel vehicles, the study found that in urban areas, EVs are nearly as likely to hit pedestrians. like cars with internal combustion engines, but Pedestrians are three times more likely to be hit in the city. There are probably several factors involved, but it’s still pretty surprising to see such a huge difference in the number of hits between the two groups.

There’s no clear rule explaining this phenomenon, but by using a little logic, researchers can probably figure out what’s going on.

• On the one hand, electric cars and hybrids are much more likely to be used in pedestrianized city centres, especially in Great Britain.
• On the other hand, electric cars and hybrids are increasingly purchased by young and less experienced drivers.
• Another important factor is that battery-powered vehicles are much quieter than gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles, even if companies install warning systems that make noise at low speeds. However, it is often difficult to tell speed and distance by ear from these artificial sounds produced by electric cars and hybrids.

Electric cars pose a danger to pedestrians because they are less audible than gasoline or diesel cars. If you switch to an electric vehicle, remember that this is a new form of transportation. They are much quieter than old-fashioned cars, and pedestrians have learned to navigate the roads by listening to traffic. Drivers of these vehicles need to be especially careful.
– says Phil Edwards, first author of the study and professor of epidemiology and statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The study focused on data on traffic accidents in the country from 2013 to 2017. The analysis included 916,713 car crash victims, about 13% of whom were pedestrians. Approximately a quarter of the victims among pedestrians were caused by a car with electric traction. Considering that the distance traveled by gasoline and diesel vehicles is much greater, one quarter of the accidents involving electric vehicles is a huge figure.