I think both drivers and pedestrians using phones is a major factor. Also, the increased use of headphones and especially noise cancelling headphones. And anecdotally, electric cars even with the spaceship sounds just don’t get into peoples heads; people jump in front of my EV all the time in parking lots.
But blaming pedestrians isn’t really the solution. There is also the fact that there aren’t tests in the USA for pedestrian safety while euro NCAP has pedestrian tests factored into the score. The Americans buy more big suv/trucks than anywhere else, have higher speed limits in pedestrian exposed areas and worse pedestrian infrastructure than anywhere else and then their cars are not built to minimize pedestrian injury.
I think both drivers and pedestrians using phones is a major factor. Also, the increased use of headphones and especially noise cancelling headphones. And anecdotally, electric cars even with the spaceship sounds just don’t get into peoples heads; people jump in front of my EV all the time in parking lots.
But blaming pedestrians isn’t really the solution. There is also the fact that there aren’t tests in the USA for pedestrian safety while euro NCAP has pedestrian tests factored into the score. The Americans buy more big suv/trucks than anywhere else, have higher speed limits in pedestrian exposed areas and worse pedestrian infrastructure than anywhere else and then their cars are not built to minimize pedestrian injury.