To think the law needs to change on 4x4s and Supersized SUVs in Cities.

[JustMint]

Unsure how, but today's news is just horrifying, these vehicles really need to be reduced in numbers in residential areas in my opinion. They are significantly heavier than smaller cars (I know that's stating the obvious) but who really needs a 4X4 in a city?

It’s also the height of the bonnet, as a previous poster has said. Lots of SUVs around here, in zone 2 in London. They look ridiculous for the size of the streets and are intimidating to pedestrians. No-one needs one in London or to bring one in either. Lots of alternatives to getting into this city and around it.

I don't have all the answers it is merely a case of mulling possible scenarios.
What I do know for a fact is that many drivers of these vehicles do not have the driving skills to cope when they need to act quickly in an emergency road situation.
They are perfectly safe 'inside' their vehicle which also adds to the general arrogance of the style of driving.

No normal family needs a 4x4. Gas guzzling & despicable monster trucks.

Please share your “facts” … what a load of BS. There are rubbish drivers everywhere

There is a massive difference between being hit by a "rubbish driver" in a ford fiesta, than there is being hit by a "rubbish driver" in a Range Rover.

Height, weight and stopping distance make is much less likely you would survive being hit by a Range Rover.

And let's not forget that the woman involved today, whether her fault or not has got to live with the fact that she has killed a child. And so has the child's family.
Why do you think so many road safety campaigners are usually grieving families.

I look at my DD’s school car park. Estimate that 60-70% of the cara in there are huge 4x4s. Massive cars are a status symbol. You don’t need one if you are the standard family unit of 2 adults, 2 kids (or less). But people want them to keep up with the Joneses.

Commendable.

I would probably go along with most of this, but there's not a snowball's chance in hell of it happening - massive costs aside, I can just imagine all the people in the towns alongside the M25 gathering their opposition the vast car parks.

Alos doubt it would deter many of the 4x4 drivers - they already pay a lot of road and fuel taxes as well as VAT etc so I imagine if they really are status symbols, the knowledge of just how much they cost will only make them more attractive, however the income could be useful.

After all these changes, would we be sure a Newish Land Rover Defender wouldn't kill or injure kids at a school? No. So would it be worth it?

Define normal

All those saying you can do damage in any car - of course you can.

But if you could pick, you’d choose to take your chances with a fiat 500 over a Land Rover Defender wouldn’t you.

You could be hit by a fast cyclist and die or be seriously injured. As sad as it is an out of control car whatever size will be dangerous. Not many car accidents involve ploughing into a crowd of people thankfully, they are rare.

Stopping distances aren't much different now, tech has seen to that.
You're right about size, but only to a point. Sadly, you could be killed by either quite easily as a pedestrian, and being killed by a Fiesta wouldn't make you any less dead.

ULEZ has no bearing on this at all. Very few cars are not ULEZ compliant.

I completely agree with you OP. These cars have been shown time and again to be more dangerous to pedestrians than normally proportioned cars. They also cause more accidents on roads because people can’t see around them at junctions.

There is absolutely no excuse to drive a massive Land Rover in any part of London. I’ve been saying this for years.

The majority of the population doesn't live in London

They will just register it to their second home

This. I couldn't agree more. I hate them with a passion.

People really need to remember the word likelihood, and the concept of statistics.

Thank you! People saying bin lorries are just as dangerous are somewhat missing the entire point🙄

NTFT but this is entirely incorrect.

Taller cars mean you are hit in a way that sends you under the wheels of the car, rather than over the bonnet. You are hit in softer, more important areas and injuries are worse & more likely to be deadly.

Heavier cars travelling at the same speed contain more energy (basic physics) and more of that energy will be absorbed by the objects they hit.

The most worrying thing facing the car safety industry at the moment is the increasing size and mass of cars. It’s especially problematic for electric cars because the batteries weigh so much.

All SUVs should be banned in cities and limited to those who need them for work purposes everywhere else.

Oh fab. You live in pretty much the only place in the UK with a public transport system. So hard to adapt your lifestyle with public transport and no need for a bigger vehicle due to children or disability. I weep for you.

YANBU this was my first thought too OP