Larger SUVs are 44 per cent more likely to kill a pedestrian or cyclist if they are hit compared to a standard car, according to damning new research.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London found that the risk is even higher for children, with the likelihood of fatal injuries rising to 82 per cent.
Researchers analysed data from more than 680,000 road collisions spanning 35 years and compared injury severity when pedestrians or cyclists were hit by standard cars versus light truck vehicles, which include SUVs, small vans and pick-up trucks.
The research examined 24 studies from various countries, including 16 from the United States and others from France, Germany and the Netherlands.
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SUVs have been found to cause more catastrophic injuries than standard cars
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The study highlighted how the design features of these larger vehicles contribute to increased fatality risks since their taller front ends strike adults in the pelvis rather than knees, while children are hit in the head instead of the pelvis.
The blunt fronts of SUVs also tend to throw people forward, potentially causing secondary impacts or the vehicle rolling over victims.
These vehicles are generally taller, wider, heavier and less fuel-efficient than traditional cars.
SUVs have grown significantly in popularity across the UK in recent years, accounting for a third of all new car registrations last year, compared with just 12 per cent a decade earlier.
Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: "Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars.
"Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net zero goals.
"Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts."
Researchers estimate that SUVs make up around one in five of all car crashes in Europe and 45 per cent in the US.
If all SUVs were replaced by standard cars, pedestrian and cyclist deaths would decrease by an estimated eight per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US.
Tanya Braun, director of external affairs and fundraising at charity Living Streets, said: "It's clear that SUVs make people, especially children, less safe while walking on our streets.
"Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured in England every day, and every one of those deaths is a tragedy. We urgently need more measures to protect pedestrians.
"We're urging the Government to invest in active travel infrastructure and safe zones around schools that are proven to help keep children safe from vehicles like SUVs."
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The Tyre Extinguishers are now in operation across 22 countries X/T_EXTINGUISHERSEnvironmental activists have taken action against larger SUVs across the world in recent years, including slashing tyres, placing stickers on the vehicles and even spray painting messages.
The Tyre Extinguishers group said its supporters have taken action across the UK to "make it impossible" to own large vehicles in urban areas.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The safety of our roads is a priority and there are tough laws in place to stop dangerous driving, no matter which kind of vehicle is used."
