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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Laura Laker

France has had the guts to crack down on SUV drivers. Why doesn’t Britain?

A Greenpeace installation of an SUV in the ground next to the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, 22 March 2023.
A Greenpeace installation of an SUV in the ground next to the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, 22 March 2023. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

Walking on a busy London street recently, I heard a shout. “Don’t hit me,” a cyclist screamed, as a Land Rover driver reversed into his path. Next, it was my turn to jump out of the way. The driver lurched forward, veering unexpectedly in my direction just as I was crossing a sidestreet.

A moment later, another panicked voice behind me; a little girl scooting in front of her mother overshot the pavement ever so slightly, and came just inches from the driver’s path. Behind the steering wheel the driver appeared impassive, apparently unaware of the consternation in her wake.

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