The marketplace shift toward taller vehicles, particularly SUVs, has accelerated. This release ushered in an intense public outcry over the dangers these vehicles pose to pedestrians and cyclists alike. As our own Alex Thompson has pointed out, the taller cars are, the more serious the injury to vulnerable road users. New studies from Belgium’s Vias Institute validate this concern. It captures how a very small increase in car height dramatically increases the likelihood of fatal collisions for people on foot.
Thompson wants to remind folks that vehicle design, especially for new vehicles, has considerably changed in recent years. The emphasis shifted to protecting the people inside, too often leaving those outside the car in danger. He notes, “As safety measures have improved, a certain amount of weight had to be added to vehicles to strengthen up safety compartments because they weren’t that strong back then.” A major consequence of this shift is that cars have gotten massively heavier. These larger vehicles create more hazards for other road users.
This presents a different picture of the market. First and foremost, he fully expects manufacturers to incentivize consumers to think smaller. This is particularly key in urban environments, where space and circulation are at a premium. Even with this opportunity, Leggett is the first to admit that manufacturers are caught in a squeeze trying to meet consumer preference, safety, and environmental demands. He states, “Manufacturers have had to do things like improve structural crash protection and fit more airbags.”
In the last twenty years, the weight of the typical car has exploded from 3,000 lbs to 3,500 lbs. This move reflects a worrisome industry trend toward vehicles designed to maximize vehicle size and safety features. At the same time, local officials struggle with how to accommodate these newer, larger vehicles. As a last resort against the rising tide of gas guzzlers, cities such as Paris have passed tougher measures. As of October 2024, fees for heavy vehicles to park on-street in Paris have increased exponentially. Soaring fees have now increased to €18 for one hour and €225 for six hours, from just €6 and €75.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo noted the environmental effects of larger vehicles during a recent press conference, saying “this is a problem.” “And the larger it is, the more it pollutes,” she said, highlighting an emerging line of argument in the national fight over the future of urban mobility and environmental justice. France charges additional registration taxes for cars heavier than 1,600 kg. To bolster this adversarial approach, the country imposes heavy fines for overweight trucks.
Adverse impacts of crashes on cyclists’ safety is also top-of-mind among experts. Tim Dexter, Vehicles Policy Manager at the campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E), explains how the increased vulnerability cyclists have to bigger vehicles makes them more dangerous. “Whether you’re in another car or a pedestrian, you’re more likely to be seriously injured if there’s a collision with one of these vehicles,” he stated. His comments strike a chord with all of us who have been fighting and pushing for complete streets and safer cities.
Lucia Barbato’s experience provides a window into the convoluted socio-technical relations of vehicle preference in parallel contexts. For the mother of a large family, she was still unable to thrive as she did not have access to reliable public transport. This is why her secondhand Lexus RX450 hybrid SUV was the perfect pragmatic solution to meet her needs. This trend shines a spotlight on the overall consumer preference for larger, family-friendly vehicles. Yet, despite safety issues, they appreciate the convenience and function of them.
In cities, lack of parking spaces complicates things even further. The standard minimum width of an on-street parking space is 1.8 meters in many locations, making it challenging for drivers of wider vehicles to navigate tight spaces effectively. This is laying bare a tension that is becoming more salient between the size of vehicles and urban infrastructure.
Just ask experts such as III’s David Leggett who acknowledged that the public has made it clear they want bigger vehicles. “It’s often better for people with kids to get them in and out of the car with that extra height; for people who are less mobile, it’s much easier to get in and out of an SUV than a lower hatchback or saloon,” Leggett explained. This sentiment rings true in the majority of households where necessity trumps safety every time.
For many everyday practical reasons, bigger vehicles are great. Cities continue to call for more transit-oriented, compact, efficient options. In recent months, the market has been flooded with low-priced small EVs like BYD’s Seagull and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. These choices draw in users who seek affordable alternatives that nonetheless deliver high-quality mobility.