Australians’ love affair with large US-style pick-up trucks could be having deadly consequences for pedestrians, according to new University of Melbourne research examining local crash data.

The researchers investigated whether the growing number of large light commercial vehicles on Australian roads – including American-style pick-ups such as the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram – is changing the severity of collisions involving pedestrians.

Their findings indicate pedestrians struck by light commercial vehicles face a significantly greater risk of death than those hit by conventional passenger vehicles.

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The University of Melbourne researchers analysed Australian crash records and compared outcomes according to the type of vehicle involved. They found light commercial vehicles were associated with a higher likelihood of a pedestrian collision proving fatal, even after accounting for other factors that can influence crash severity.

Vehicle design is considered an important part of the problem. Large pick-ups typically have taller, more upright front ends than passenger cars. In a collision, this means a pedestrian is more likely to be struck higher on the body by the vehicle’s grille and bonnet, rather than around the legs.

That can result in greater forces being transferred to vital areas of the body. Taller vehicles can also push a pedestrian forwards and downwards, increasing the potential for them to be run over, rather than throwing them onto the bonnet.

The Australian findings add local evidence to a body of international research examining the relationship between increasingly large vehicles and pedestrian safety. Previous research into Victorian pedestrian crashes has also shown that vehicle type can have a significant bearing on pedestrian crash outcomes.

The issue is becoming increasingly relevant as full-size American pick-ups become more common in Australia. Vehicles including the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado have established a local market, while the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra have expanded the number of choices available to buyers.

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The University of Melbourne researchers argue the results warrant greater consideration of vehicle design in Australian road-safety policy, rather than focusing predominantly on protecting vehicle occupants.

They suggest measures could include stronger pedestrian-impact standards and greater consideration of vehicle front-end geometry.

The research highlights a fundamental trade-off in the trend towards larger vehicles: while their size can provide occupants with a sense of security, that same size and front-end design can increase the consequences for vulnerable road users outside the vehicle.