Heavy Trucks Had at Least 12 Times Cars’ Turning Odds in Fatal Pedestrian Crashes

Fatalities rose while a basic measurement standard remained absent

About 9,200 pedestrians and cyclists were killed on U.S. roads in 2024, 65% more than in 2010, GAO reported. Its crash analysis found heavy-duty trucks had at least 12 times cars’ odds of turning rather than going straight in comparable fatal pedestrian-crash scenarios.

That statistic is an odds comparison within fatal crashes, not proof that a vehicle’s blind zone caused each death and not a statement that trucks are twelve times as likely to hit someone overall.

GAO found DOT had no consistent method to measure blind zones across passenger vehicles and commercial trucks and had not fully analyzed visibility risks by vehicle, maneuver and design.

DOT split on the recommendations

DOT concurred with developing a visibility-measurement method but did not concur with fully analyzing and responding to the risks. GAO maintained both recommendations.

The original accountability finding is the gap between a measurable fatality trend and the absence of a standardized blind-zone metric. Better measurement would not by itself establish causation, but it would permit consistent testing and regulation.