BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The trend toward ever larger cars in Europe can also be seen in the height of car hoods - with potential implications for road safety, especially for children. This is because a higher front makes it more difficult for drivers to see smaller people directly in front of the vehicle, according to a study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E).

Bonnet height averages 83.4 centimetres

The average height of hoods in the UK and the EU has increased by half a centimeter per year since 2010, reaching 83.4 centimeters in 2024, according to T&E. Almost half of all new registrations in the regions surveyed have a bonnet height of more than 85 centimetres. According to the association, 1.5 percent of new vehicles even exceed one meter. T&E is therefore calling for a legal upper limit: "We recommend a maximum height of 85 centimeters from 2035" – subject to further investigations, the authors write.

This is because higher bonnets increase the risk of serious injuries in the event of accidents, especially for pedestrians. "In accidents, SUVs and pickup trucks with high hoods usually hit adult pedestrians above the center of gravity, often striking vital organs in the middle of the body first." This increases the likelihood that victims will be thrown forward and run over.

Boom in SUVs and off-road vehicles for years

Smaller vehicles, on the other hand, tend to hit pedestrians below the center of gravity. This increases the chance that they will fall onto the car and eventually roll to the side. T&E cites studies based on data from Belgium showing that an increase in bonnet height from 80 to 90 centimetres increases the risk of fatal accidents for pedestrians and cyclists by more than a quarter.

The increasing height of hoods can be explained primarily by the boom in SUVs and off-road vehicles that has been ongoing for years. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), these two segments accounted for more than 40 percent of all new registrations in Germany last year.

As of January 1 this year, there were around 6.6 million SUVs registered in Germany, almost ten percent more than at the same time last year. This means that more than 13 percent of all cars registered in Germany belong to this vehicle class. Off-road vehicles accounted for 6.6 percent of the total fleet with 3.3 million units – together, this represents almost one-fifth.

Statistics show no anomalies

Other experts also recognize a safety risk in these vehicles. "Passengers in heavy vehicles such as SUVs are generally better protected in accidents than people in smaller cars, thanks in part to their more robust construction and higher seating position," says Richard Goebelt, head of the Vehicle and Mobility Division at the TÜV Association. For those involved in accidents, however, the risk of injury increases "because larger vehicles can generate greater impact forces due to their higher mass and design, such as higher hoods."

There are no statistics on injuries related to hood height. Data from the Federal Statistical Office only show which vehicle classes have caused accidents with injuries or fatalities and how often. According to this data, SUVs caused just under one in ten accidents with personal injury in 2023. However, this roughly corresponds to their share of the total number of passenger cars. Off-road vehicles, on the other hand, caused around 5.6 percent of all accidents in which people were injured. This was significantly more than their share would suggest.

Insurers warn against jumping to conclusions

The insurers' accident research department warns against jumping to conclusions about the road safety of SUVs. "It is fair to say that the height of the bonnet can be a risk for more serious injuries, especially for smaller pedestrians," said the head of the department, Kirstin Zeidler. "But the risk of injury does not depend solely on the height of the bonnet." The accident situation plays an important role, as do the length and angle of the bonnet and the distance to the windscreen in a head-on collision.

Speed is also a decisive factor. "A carefully driven SUV is no more dangerous than a carelessly driven normal car," emphasizes Zeidler. Changes in design and driver assistance systems also have an influence on the severity of injuries and the risk of accidents. However, these aspects were not sufficiently addressed in the T&E study./maa/DP/zb