this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
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Well, you're wrong. There's no nice way to phrase it. Bumper height is definitely an issue, blunt front ends are a visibility and impact danger, and bumper height regulations do exist for various classes of vehicle, and in various jurisdictions. Not Just Bikes covers it pretty comprehensively.
Yet the height of the back of a Semi trailer is higher than any truck's bumper. Do you think really think all vehicles should have the same bumper height? Oh dear.
That's why every semi trailer has a back bumper below the deck height. Those bumpers are mandated by law for safety. Also, the EU mandates those skirts underneath the sides, to prevent other road users from going under the wheels, and the skirts are becoming more common on U.S. trucks, too.
And, yes, the regulations for cars mandate compatible bumper heights, so it's not just me that thinks so. It's just that pickup trucks don't have the same regulations, for stupid political reasons.
https://images.app.goo.gl/QuodHJafoq72JDPe6
Back bumper on semi's is still higher than a truck's bumper.
Car bumpers are rarely ever at the same height so the bumper height argument is bullshit.
Incorrect. The regulations on car bumpers require that they be between 16" and 20" off the ground. The rear guard on a semi trailer must be no more than 22" off the ground. True, that's not exactly lined up with a car bumper, but it's enough to prevent underride crashes.
This is kind of far afield from my point, though, that what somebody else chooses to drive is my business, because they're on the road with me. Pickup trucks are much, much more dangerous to me, because they're much more likely to cause head and chest injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists, and much more likely to push them under the wheels instead of onto the hood. The traffic casualty rates in the past couple of years prove this empirically.