If you’ve spent much time on social media lately, you’ve likely seen the video of the woman who ran over another car. Miraculously, no one was killed, but the footage has reignited conversation around how tall is too tall when it comes to vehicles. After all, the new mail trucks were specifically redesigned with visibility in mind. Their low hoods might look comical, but they ensure that drivers of any height can see small children and potential road hazards.
But when it comes to personal vehicles, customization can sometimes feel like an arms race. Many people online over the years have likened tall SUVs and trucks to “tanks” that will protect their own passengers at the expense of other drivers. So let’s talk: do SUVs and truck pose a danger with their lack of visibility?
How Has Visibility Changed Over the Years?
In some SUVs, visibility is bad enough that it can be hard to see small children or animals even without adding on lifts or other aftermarket modifications. Consumer Reports reported that when comparing popular vehicles from 1997 to 2023, “drivers had 58 percent less forward visibility in some modern SUVs compared with their older counterparts.”
Moneywise made a similar observation in its report, noting that lifted pickups, like the one in the clip, “have a forward blind zone that grows with every inch of ride height, and the trucks themselves keep getting taller from the factory before anyone touches the suspension.” Add to this the fact that “a driver in a Dodge Ram TRX cannot see a 4-foot-5-inch 9-year-old standing directly in front of the bumper,” and you’re looking at a recipe for disaster. In fact, the Moneywise article goes on to say that “SUVs and vans with hoods more than 40 inches off the ground are about 45% more likely to kill pedestrians than vehicles with hoods 30 inches or lower.”
What Does This Mean for Drivers?
While we unfortunately do not live in a world where everyone will make a choice for the greater good, that shouldn’t stop us from doing our best. There will always be drivers on the road in tall SUVs and vans, or in trucks with lift kits, but when you’re in the market for a car it’s worth stopping to ask yourself if you really need something that tall. If you can make do with a smaller car, it’s worth it to ensure that you’re less likely to be the driver fatally hitting someone else due to a lack of visibility. Sure, it’s fun to be the driver in the big truck looking down on everybody… but at what cost?
Sources
Florida woman’s lifted Silverado rolled over a $250K Lamborghini in Crunch Fitness parking lot — a known safety risk means it could have ended worse, Moneywise, 2026.
New SUVs Really Do Have Worse Visibility, Study Shows, Consumer Reports, 2025.
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