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Rampton: Proposed new safety rules might not keep pedestrians safe

Quoted by NPR's On Point. Lecturer III James Rampton. Trucks and SUVs are bigger and more dangerous than ever. New safety rules aim to fix that.

Thursday, 10/10/2024

By Noor Hindi

As trucks and SUVs have gotten bigger and bigger, so have the risks of pedestrian deaths. New rules proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration aim to address this issue by mandating car manufacturers create test procedures that simulate a head-to-hood impact. 

University of Michigan School of Information lecturer III Jim Rampton, an expert on automotive UX, questions the effectiveness of the new rules. He argues factors like distracted driving and cell phones may be worth greater scrutiny. 

Despite this, car designers “love a good challenge,” he says. 

“I think that car designers are some of the most brilliant people on this planet and some of the most creative people on this planet,” Rampton says. “And you'd be amazed as to some of the cool stuff they can think up to not only look, make it look really cool and fun to drive, but also make it incredibly safe.”

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Listen to “Trucks and SUVs are bigger — and more dangerous — than ever. New safety rules aim to fix that” on NPR’s On Point podcast. 

Learn more about Jim Rampton by visiting his UMSI faculty profile and check out UMSI’s automotive UX courses.