The lack of engine noise from EVs is a clear worry, as sound is a critical warning for pedestrians, especially those who are distracted. Similarly, the additional weight from large batteries raises questions about whether crashes result in more severe injuries.
These questions are valid, but a recent study from the UK provides some data to address them. Published in the academic journal Nature Communications, the research offers a real-world look at how EVs compare to conventional cars when it comes to pedestrian safety. The study used official police crash data from Britain, analyzing pedestrian collisions involving cars, taxis, and private-hire vehicles between 2014 and 2023. The vehicles were grouped as electric, hybrid, or petrol and diesel.
Key Findings from the UK Study
The study went beyond simple crash counts to account for the fact that there are far more petrol and diesel cars on the road than EVs. The researcher calculated the number of pedestrian casualties per billion miles driven for each vehicle type. The main comparison focused on the period from 2019 to 2022, when EV adoption was high enough to provide meaningful data.
A central question was whether being hit by an electric vehicle resulted in more serious injuries or death compared to being hit by a conventional car. The statistical modelling accounted for many factors, including speed limits, vehicle type, pedestrian and driver characteristics, and weather conditions. The results showed that once these variables were considered, there was no statistically significant difference in injury severity between being hit by an EV and a petrol or diesel car.
The study also investigated whether EVs are more likely to be involved in pedestrian collisions due to their quiet nature. The data showed that fully electric vehicles were involved in 57.8 pedestrian casualties for every billion miles travelled. Petrol and diesel cars had a nearly identical rate of 58.9 casualties per billion miles. This suggests that the “sneakiness” of EVs has not translated into a higher risk of hitting pedestrians.
Unexpected Hybrid Vehicle Risk
The study also revealed an unexpected result regarding hybrid vehicles. Hybrids had a much higher rate of pedestrian casualties than both electric and conventional cars.
Limitations and Future Research
The analysis focused on the UK context, where electric vehicle adoption is more advanced than in other countries like Australia. This makes it difficult to directly apply these findings to all regions. The researcher noted that local Australian data is not yet available but may be generated in the future.
