These two facts are connected: Trucks and SUVs are now about 80% of new car sales in the United States, part of a trend whereby, over the last three decades, the average U.S. passenger vehicle has gotten about 10 inches longer, 8 inches taller and 1,000 pounds heavier. And nationwide pedestrian deaths have been rising, with more than 7,500 defenseless walkers brutally victimized by automobiles in 2022, reflecting an 80% increase from 2009 lows.