Pickups are marketed for their capacity to conquer lunar landscapes, but they’re far more likely to be seen at a Tim Hortons drive-through.

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Freedom. It’s a word we hear often, whether in economics, pandemics or political campaigns. There’s the freedom of the markets, the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” and a country that is promoted as free and strong. Freedom is also central to the successful marketing of pickup trucks, products that are proliferating on our roads. The danger that these vehicles pose to the lives of pedestrians is rarely mentioned.

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The surging number of pickups is no surprise, given the billions of dollars that auto-makers invest to convince buyers that they’re not only buying an oversized vehicle but being liberated from roads to roam off-road trails, even to scale mountains. In fact, buyers get much more. Along with freedom, upon them are magically bestowed qualities of adventure-seeking, rugged independence and machismo. Sure, it’s just marketing hype, but hearing it feels so good that it’s easy to ignore the real-world consequences.

Beyond the marketing fantasies, a heavy burden is foisted upon other road users: a new peril to their lives. While the pickup driver is safely encased in the cab of a military-sized vehicle, pedestrians are almost 3.5 times more likely to be killed when........

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