Why are there so many SUV's on the road?

[Sausagenbacon]

I've just had a wonderful cycle ride (we used to cycle a lot during lockdown but not since).
We really noticed how busy the roads were, which was unsurprising, but we also noticed that most people drive suv's now, which is a pita.
Why is this, and how do people afford them?

@Kpo58

Because they are so much wider (even than a van),

Most SUVs are not wider than vans though

That’s still a lot of people dying and being injured that could be prevented if we adopted Vision Zero. Nor does it excuse manufacturers heavily promoting cars designed with bonnets that increase the collision risk to pedestrians or of a weight that increase potholes & cracked pavements. The weight issue has also led to the Institute of Structural Engineers warning that older car parks may need to be reinforced to cope with the weight (or the cheaper option of just banning SUVs).

Not necessarily, not all SUVs are new, shiny and expensive. And besides, they're only a swearing the pint made by an earlier responder that they're all bought on finance to keep up with the Jones.

Do you have anything else to contribute?

For ours, it is purely recreational. The kids compete up and down the country and when the club trailer isn't going, being able to carry an 8m long rowing scull and blades, rigger, trestles and associated kit takes a reasonable size vehicle.

Add in a couple of huge teenagers, their bags, an 8 year old with a bike or scooter to occupy them etc, and there is rarely much space left.

I live on the edge of the Peak District. DH cousin used to live in it right near Kinder Scout, up a track up a massive hill. In some places it’s very helpful like where the cousin lived. All of DS GF family have Land Rovers but they need them asit’s over half a mile up what is a very bumpy lane to their farm on a hill. I have fond memories of being in a Land Rover with sheep shit rolling round it as a child as grew up in a rural community.

I cycle and drive and there are people that are awful in both camps.

Highway code rule 66 shows that riding two abreast is legal on UK roads, we don’t do it. I stopped commuting to work by bike due to aggressive drivers and roads just being a lot busier. We bought electric bikes yesterday as my health is a bit dodgy and I was trying to explain how cycling was such a joy 40 years ago to the young sales assistant. I just checked in 1976 the year I started cycling there were 14 million cars on UK roads, it’s now 41 million.

Friends DS is a police officer , most accidents are caused by driver error and speed is a factor in making the accidents worse but overall it’s driver error. Big contributing factors are over confident drivers and nervous drivers, basically opposite ends of the spectrum.

@Benvenuto I didn’t say there wasn’t any more room for improvement but the fact is our roads are much safer & some of the safest in the world.

And not all SUVs are massive which seems to keep getting overlooked.

The ones that go down the single track road near me are. Vans and petrol cars you can stand at the edge of the road without being hit. SUVs you have to stand in the mud off the road so that you aren't hit.

We have one because we need to do alot of driving round Scotland and up to rural parts as well for my sons sport. It's comfier, he gets less car sick than he did with my last car (an astra) as you're higher off the ground. It's comfier and has more space as we are all really tall.

That’s my dream car! Will have to stay in dreams though, as we’ve just swapped a 20 year old estate for an 12 year old estate, that’s the “newest” car we’ve ever owned 🤣

We are 3 adults, a 12 year old, a 5 year old and a massive dog. The boot on our estate looks cavernous when it’s empty, but the dogs crate takes up the entire space. So if adult ds comes away with us, (and even if he doesn’t tbh), going away for a week is interesting. We always have to book somewhere with a washing machine so we can take very little as there’s no where to put anything!

(we keep saying we will buy one of those bags you put on the roof but never seem to have the spare cash to do it).

@Kpo58 but why have you taken your unusual experience and extrapolated it to everywhere else? Most SUVs are not wider than vans!

Have you assumed they are wider because the drivers happen to be rubbish?

@Benvenuto I appreciate the weight issue & the impact on pot holes etc so i’m not against a higher tax. But electric cars are also heavy.

Our suv is a foot shorter than the hatch back we use to have, it's slightly taller which is more comfortable for my tall dh and the engine is more environmentally friendly due to low emissions.

Just because it can look for you while you’re manoeuvring DOESN’T mean that pedestrians can see through it/over the bonnet etc when you’re parked. Yesterday THREE Discovery/Range Rover vehicles went to visit a neighbour of mine. One woman per vehicle. Each of them parked on the pavement. To get past them you had to walk in the middle of the road but you had to walk into to road to see if there was flipping traffic coming because of the blacked out windows. I’m sure it’s marvellous that they feel somehow safer as they drive around, but they’re a nuisance.

Certainly my older relatives all prefer the height of an SUV & find them more comfortable so comfort is a big draw.

I think you’re bang on the money

except possibly the more dangerous in an accident thing, some people will say if you’re unfortunate enough to crash you’re safer in a SUV, this could be true but if you’re unfortunate enough to be hit by an SUV I wouldn’t fancy your chances at all

Is a Qashqai an SUV

yes

After getting to a certain age, I would never drive anything but.

For a regular car, you have to bend and crouch to get in (never mind feeling like you have gravel rash on your backside from sitting low), then you have to exit whilst bent and push up to straighten. My knees and hips said ‘fuck that’ a few decades ago.

For a larger 4wd, you need a step to get into them, so are pulling/jumping up on the step and then manoeuvring in from there (but positive is, no feeling of gravel rash on backside).

For an SUV, you can get them to suit your height pretty much. I go a make where, from standing, I can just turn a little and slide my bum directly in the seat at exactly my bum height. Obviously, there is not just the one make available to me as seat heights are adjustable in most but I just find that and the door shape of this one suits me perfectly over others I tried. Same for exiting, just one leg out, slight swivel and absolute minimal movement to being upright out of the car. It’s fantastic.

Also, gives a much better view of the road. DH drives a regular sedan, as that’s his driving preference, and we have his previous one as well as one of the spares (we have several adult kids currently living at home saving for good deposits for doable mortgages), and the kids obviously prefer the SUV’s as well as I find they even pinch mine if the other spares are gone and they just have the spare sedan left.

Haven't read the whole thread but my thought is always that people don't mind driving something thst is more likely to kill pedestrians and other drivers, as long as it reduces their own chances of being killed in an accident...!

Whats different about the people/families in London?
Why don't we need them?

Large families with dogs, shopping etc live in London.

Near me there are loads of bike peletons which are a PITA at weekends and bomb down narrow country lanes like they have a death wish a lot faster than me in my (electric) SUV.

That’s a bit harsh 😅

No, the way you drive any car is more likely to do that.

Yep….all ‘bought’ on the ‘never never’
we bought a new car last year (yes, with real money!) and the dealer told us 90% of sales were either this PCP or whatever it’s called….or motobility.

Not in the slightest!

Mr Bean wouldn’t have quite had the same impact today, would it? 😂