Published on
December 3, 2024, TORONTO/MONTREAL: A national coalition of road safety and environmental groups is calling on federal ministers Anita Anand, Steven Guilbeault, and Mark Holland --- Transport Canada, Environment and Climate Change, and Health, respectively --- to curb the excess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lethal danger of pickups and large SUVs to pedestrians and cyclists.
The Coalition to Reduce Auto Size Hazards (C.R.A.S.H.) today filed a formal environmental petition with Canada’s Environmental Commissioner in the Office of the Auditor General calling for action based on a growing body of evidence showing that light trucks (SUVs and pickup trucks) present greater risks of death than standard cars in crashes with pedestrians and cyclists. According to a recent U.S. study, these vehicles are also particularly dangerous to children, who are eight times more likely to be killed when struck by an SUV than a sedan. Another comprehensive study in 2024 found that for every 10cm increase in the front-end height of a vehicle, there is a 22% increase in the risk of death for a pedestrian or cyclist who is struck.
The petition comes weeks after CRASH and other Canadian groups filed comments to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in support of a U.S. proposal to require new passenger vehicles to be designed to reduce the risk of serious-to-fatal injuries in crashes involving child and adult pedestrians.
“Canada’s excuse for inaction has been that it can’t act alone because of the integrated Canada-U.S. auto market, despite the fact that it is pedestrians and cyclists on Canadian roads who face a greater risk of death. Now that the U.S. is taking action, Canada can no longer sit back and watch,” said Albert Koehl, an environmental lawyer and coordinator of C.R.A.S.H.
The petitioners are calling on the Minister of Transport to include pedestrians and cyclists in its vehicle safety assessments. The groups are also calling on the Minister of Health to warn consumers in marketing ads about the increased risks of death that pickups and SUVs pose. The groups cite the work of Health Canada over many years in requiring warnings on cigarette packages. These warnings have proven to be effective in educating the public and saving lives.
“While cities across Canada are investing heavily in road safety plans, including Vision Zero plans, these efforts will be wiped out by the increasing danger on our roads from oversized vehicles,” said Sandrine Cabana-Degani of Piétons Québec, a member of the coalition.
The petition also urges the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to use regulation to steer automakers toward building smaller, cheaper and less polluting vehicles, and requiring them to display information on vehicle prices on advertising in order to help Canadian families make choices suited to their financial means. SUVs and pickups use, on average, 20% more gas than standard cars; are $10,000 more expensive to buy; and $4,000 more expensive to operate each year. Meanwhile, affordable car options have become an exception in Canada.
“As long as policymakers choose to ignore the shift in our overall vehicle fleet towards SUVs and pickup trucks, families end up paying the price by spending more on gas and by leaving a more polluted planet to their children. It is time we use regulatory policy to steer automakers towards making smaller, cleaner and more affordable vehicles for everyone,” said Blandine Sebileau, Sustainable Mobility Analyst at Équiterre.
The coalition of 23 groups from across Canada, includes Piétons Québec, VéloCanadaBikes (VCB), Équiterre, Bike Windsor Essex, Bike Law Canada, and Community Bikeways (Toronto).
Contacts
Albert Koehl, Coordinator, CRASH, crash.oversized@gmail.com, 647-985-3754
Dale Robertson, Media Relations, Équiterre, media@equiterre.org, 514 605-2000
Chloé Fortin Côté, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Piétons Québec, chloe.fortin.cote@pietons.quebec, 514-686-0905
