Vias study: Electric vehicles pose higher risk to pedestrians

A study by the Vias institute indicates that electric vehicles are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents with vulnerable road users. According to the findings, 42% of accidents involving electric cars involve a pedestrian or cyclist, compared to 27% for the general vehicle fleet—a 55% overrepresentation.

The primary cause identified is the silence of electric motors at low speeds. While internal combustion engines emit approximately 55 decibels at low speeds, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) in electric vehicles vary greatly in intensity. In tests conducted at 10 km/h, 38% of hybrid vehicles were not detected in time by participants, including 35 visually impaired individuals.

This safety gap presents economic implications, including potential increases in insurance premiums and higher public health costs. In Belgium, the market share of electric and hybrid vehicles has grown from 3% to 20% over the last five years, increasing the frequency of these encounters in urban environments.