Urban pedestrians are up to three times more likely to be hit by an electric car than by a petrol or diesel car, research shows
- Even in rural areas the risk turned out to be twice as high
Research shows that pedestrians in urban areas are three times more likely to be hit by an electric car than by a petrol or diesel car.
Higher levels of background noise mean people living in cities and towns are at greater risk of accidents involving electric cars, which tend to be quieter than traditional vehicles.
But even in rural areas, the risk with environmentally friendly transport is twice as high compared to other cars.
Researchers compared the differences in the number of pedestrian casualties for every 100 million miles traveled in Britain between electric or hybrid and fossil fuel cars, using road safety data between 2013 and 2017.
There were 916,713 fatalities due to reported traffic accidents and 120,197 pedestrians involved. The London School of Tropical Medicine reports that the average annual pedestrian casualty rate per 100 million miles of road traveled was 5.16 for electric and hybrid vehicles and 2.40 for petrol and diesel vehicles.
Pedestrians in urban areas are three times more likely to be hit by an electric car than a petrol or diesel model, a study shows (Stock Photo)
The London School of Tropical Medicine reports that the average annual pedestrian death rate per 100 million miles of road travel was 5.16 for electric and hybrid vehicles and 2.40 for petrol and diesel vehicles.
Collisions with pedestrians were on average twice as likely for electric and hybrid cars than for petrol and diesel vehicles, and three times as likely in urban areas, researchers say.
Since 2021, new electric vehicles in Britain have been required to generate noise to reduce the risk to pedestrians.