Vision Zero Vancouver has teamed up with the Coalition to Reduce Auto Size Hazards (C.R.A.S.H.) and Movement to ask British Columbia’s Chief Coroner to investigate deaths from pickups and large SUVs
A growing body of research shows that pickups and large SUVs pose a measurably greater fatality risk than conventional cars. Evidence from a comprehensive 2024 study in the United States, for example, shows that as the front-end height of pickups and SUVs grows, there is a disproportionate increase in the fatality risk to individuals walking or cycling.
See the full text of our press release below, and the full letter we sent to Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder (Taj) Baidwan here.
Vancouver, September 10, 2026 — British Columbia has become the latest province in Canada where the Chief Coroner is being asked to investigate the growing danger to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users from pickup trucks and large SUVs.
C.R.A.S.H. (Coalition to Reduce Auto Size Hazards), which initiated the call to action, says that while road safety programmes in the province, such as Vision Zero, have had a positive impact, the province continues to suffer from an average of about 300 deaths and thousands of serious injuries on its roads each year, with many of these attributable to pickup trucks and large SUVs.
A growing body of research shows that pickups and large SUVs pose a measurably greater fatality risk than conventional cars. Evidence from a comprehensive 2024 study in the United States, for example, shows that as the front-end height of pickups and SUVs grows, there is a disproportionate increase in the fatality risk to individuals walking or cycling.
C.R.A.S.H. and local partners including Vision Zero Vancouver and Movement:Metro Vancouver Transit Users have written to Dr. Jatinder (Taj) Baidwan, BC’s Chief Coroner, calling for a death review of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities involving pickups and large SUVs in the province.
“This call to action is about vehicle design features that make pickups and large SUVs more deadly than regular cars in crashes with pedestrians and cyclists.These features are not about utility; they are about marketing and profit. The Chief Coroner’s responsibility is to investigate any pattern of deaths and to make recommendations, as needed, to save lives,” said Margie Sanderson of Vision Zero Vancouver.
“While initiatives like Vision Zero and ICBC’s Road Safety Improvement program have reduced the road death toll for pedestrians and cyclists, there is a real risk that this progress is being undercut by the clear and growing danger from pickups and large SUVs,” said Denis Agar of Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders.
Specific design features make pickups and large SUVs more dangerous and distinguish them from cars. These vehicles often have significant driver blind spots, are much larger and heavier than sedans, and are built with a high, blunt front end. The high front end — which is primarily about vehicle marketing — changes the point of impact with pedestrians from the lower legs to the torso and head, resulting in increased fatality risk. Children and seniors are particularly vulnerable.
Pickups, largely promoted and used for personal travel, along with SUVs and minivans accounted for almost 88% of new vehicle sales in Canada in 2025.
C.R.A.S.H. is calling upon the Chief Coroner, Dr. Baidwan to assess the greater fatality risk of pickups and large SUVs on road safety, and to make recommendations to address these dangers. The recommendations include calls that:
- the federal government require the re-design of vehicle front ends so that pickups and large SUVs are less lethal in crashes with pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities, and require safety warnings about the dangers of pickups and large SUVs to accompany vehicle advertising (an effective approach to reduce cigarette smoking);
- provincial governments introduce new driver’s licence requirements to operate pickups and large SUVs, as well as a sliding scale of vehicle registration fees based on a vehicle’s size and related danger to pedestrians and cyclists; and
- municipal governments levy parking fees based on vehicle size, and review purchasing policies for service vehicles, including pickups that are used for simple maintenance tasks in parks.
For more information, or to speak with a person associated with C.R.A.S.H, contact:
Margie Sanderson, Director of Organizing, Vision Zero Vancouver, margie.sanderson@visionzerovancouver.ca,
Albert Koehl, National Coordinator, C.R.A.S.H., oversizeddanger@gmail.com, tel 647-985-3754
