A new study has revealed people are twice as likely to be hit by electric or hybrid cars than their fuel counterparts.
The risk increases even further in urban areas where background ambient noise levels are higher, according to experts. Researchers compared the differences in pedestrian casualty rates for every 100 million miles of road travel in Britain between electric and hybrid and fossil-fuelled cars, using Government road safety statistics.
There were 916,713 casualties from reported road traffic collisions in Britain between 2013 and 2017. Of those, 120,197 were pedestrians, 96,285 of whom were hit by a car or taxi. Study author Professor Phil Edwards said most collisions occurred in urban areas, a greater proportion of which involved electric or hybrid vehicles than petrol or diesel vehicles compared to six per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, in rural areas.
The research team suggested younger, less experienced drivers are more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision and are also more likely to own an electric car, possibly accounting for some of the observed heightened risk. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.