Comparing pedestrian safety between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles

Vehicle electrification has become a major strategy for mitigating transport carbon emissions. Concerns have been raised about electric vehicle’s safety impacts due to their quieter driving and heavier weight compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. This research utilizes Great Britain’s STATS19 road safety database to understand the pedestrian safety implications of electric vehicles. We show that the pedestrians are no more likely to collide with a fully (battery) electric vehicle compared to a conventional vehicle. In case of a collision, pedestrians are no more likely to be severely injured by an electric vehicle either. Hybrid electric vehicles have a higher pedestrian casualty rate – possibly related to their driving pattern – but the associated pedestrian injuries are less severe than those with internal combustion engine vehicles.