Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Department
Civil Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Nelson Gomez-Torres
Second Advisor
Dr. Stephen Mattingly
Third Advisor
Dr. Kate Hyun
Abstract
Road fatalities are higher in the United States than in other high-income regions. In 2024, 39,254 people died on roads in the United States compared to 19,940 in the European Union. These two regions have comparable exposure metrics, such as population size, roadway network length, and fatalities per mile traveled. Light trucks dominate the U.S. market, whereas hatchbacks are prevalent in Europe. The trendline of the average height and curb weight of the top-selling vehicles in the United States has increased by 0.24 inches and 23.52 pounds per year since 1991. The average 2025 top-selling U.S. passenger vehicle is 7.5 inches taller and 948 pounds heavier than the average 2025 European passenger vehicle. However, the trendline of the average height and curb weight of the top-selling vehicles in Europe has increased by 0.23 inches per year since 2015 and by 52.64 pounds per year since 2021. These values are rising partially due to the influx of SUVs and electric vehicles, which could have serious consequences for vulnerable road users. Previous research considered the influence of vehicle power-to-weight ratio on speeding and pedestrian fatalities. An increase in pre-crash factors, such as distracted or reckless driving, should have also increased the total number of impacts. However, this research found that the number of pedestrians and cyclists involved in U.S. motor vehicle crashes has remained fairly constant since 2010, but their fatality rates have substantially increased. This distinction indicates a different crash characteristic is responsible, such as changes in vehicle height and curb weight. Between 2010 and 2024, the fatality rate of pedestrians and cyclists involved in motor vehicle crashes rose from 5.8 percent to 9.0 percent and from 1.2 percent to 2.0 percent, respectively. Transportation officials should implement design changes to protect road users from the increasingly taller and heavier vehicle fleet.
Keywords
Transportation engineering, Vehicle height, Vehicle curb weight, Vulnerable road users, Fatality rate, Traffic calming
Disciplines
Civil Engineering | Transportation Engineering
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Recommended Citation
Steinman-Friedman, Samuel L., "The Rise in Height and Curb Weight of the Top-Selling Vehicles in the United States From 1991 - 2025: Implications for Engineering Design and Vulnerable Road Users" (2026). Civil Engineering Theses. 7.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/civilengineering_theses2/7