A new report reveals a concerning trend: the increasing bonnet height of cars in Europe. This rise poses a “clear and growing threat to public safety, especially for children.”
The report highlights that higher vehicle fronts significantly increase the fatality rate when pedestrians are hit. Furthermore, drivers in the tallest cars may have their vision obstructed, rendering children as old as nine completely invisible when positioned directly in front of the vehicle.
In the event of a collision, high-bonneted SUVs are more likely to impact vital organs in adults and the heads of children. Striking a pedestrian above their center of gravity increases the likelihood of them being knocked forward, down, and subsequently run over.
Conversely, lower bonnets tend to strike a pedestrian’s legs, increasing their chances of falling onto the vehicle and being pushed to the side.
The study, conducted by advocacy group Transport & Environment, revealed that the average bonnet height of new cars sold in Europe has risen from 77cm in 2010 to 84cm in 2024.
This increase parallels the surge in SUV sales, which have jumped from 12% to 56% of all cars during the same period. This growing size of vehicles is described as “carspreading” or “autobesity.”
SUVs are also, on average, 20% more polluting. This escalating sales volume is offsetting reductions in climate-heating CO2 achieved through electric vehicles and fuel efficiency improvements.
Currently, there is no legal limit on bonnet height across Europe. Researchers recommend introducing a limit of approximately 85cm by 2035.
The report leveraged data from Euro NCAP, the safety rating program for new vehicles, coupled with sales data to analyze the growth in bonnet heights.
Transport & Environment also commissioned Loughborough University School of Design to assess the visibility of children from vehicles with high fronts.
The study discovered that drivers of a Ram TRX were unable to see children up to the age of nine standing directly in front of the vehicle. Similarly, drivers of a Land Rover Defender could not see children aged up to four and a half.
According to a Belgian study involving 300,000 casualties, a 10cm increase in bonnet height (from 80cm to 90cm) raises the risk of death for pedestrians and cyclists in a crash by 27%.
