In general, protecting pedestrians is not the main goal of car design. They are built to protect the passengers of the car. As long as there are very heavy, dangerous (in case of an accident) vehicles on the road (samis/trucks, buses), I don't see a strong case for making passengers more vulnerable to benefit pedestrians, especially considering the market forces involved. Pedestrians are better protected with assisting technology without compromising the safety of the passengers.

Also, the article is a bit sloppy with its claims. For example, it cites the SUV increase in market share and later the increased involvement of SUVs in accidents with pedestrians, as if the 2 things were not related. It's as partisan as expected.