Bigger cars take up more room, and in cities where space is at a premium this is recognised as a problem. Polling last year showed 40% of people in the UK had a negative view of 4x4-type vehicles, while just 21% had a positive one. Negative views are even more pronounced in London, while the Midlands – historic heart of the UK motor industry – has a more positive attitude to big vehicles than anywhere else. Since 2001, new cars in the UK and Europe have grown 1cm wider every two years. Last year the average width passed 180cm, too big to fit comfortably in some parking spaces. Campaigners warn that unless regulators step in, cars could keep growing to match trucks and buses.
Taking space away from other road users is not the only problem with these supersized vehicles. Because they are bigger, heavier and higher off the ground, SUVs pose greater risks than other cars to anyone unlucky enough to collide with them. One study found that children are eight times more likely to die after being struck by one.
