To think levying additional charges on SUV owners in London is a bad idea?

[FirmNavyCat]

Saw this article in the Guardian yesterday and it's been prominent in my mind since I read it. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/13/suv-drivers-could-face-extra-charges-for-driving-in-london

Sadiq Khan is talking about levying further charges to SUV drivers due to the evidence that they pose a significantly increased risk of fatal injury to pedestrians in collisions, particularly children. While on the face of it this seems like a noble cause, my belief is that policymakers should be focused on beefing up existing laws. Speed limits should be reduced on roads that have the highest number of fatalities, and drivers who cause injury or death should face tougher sentencing by the courts. I know SUVs are popular on MN (and are popular with mums in urban areas generally). They feel so much safer to drive compared to smaller cars. Also, should the worst happen and you are involved in a collision, I would very strongly prefer to be in an SUV than a smaller car. I'd want my loved ones to be in an SUV as well if I had to choose.

Agree 100% with extra taxes/charges on SUVs in London. I live in a leafy outer borough and some of the cars parked near us are ridiculous. The bonnets are higher than a 6 year olds' head. They don't fit in parking spaces. There's absolutely no need for them. It's perfectly possible to buy large family cars that aren't a danger to pedestrians and cyclists.

@Arregaithel Red cars? Have you swallowed a red pill? Love love love how Sadiq Khan triggers the right people.
SUV’s are ridiculous. They take up too much space on the road and in car parks. May they stay in the countryside where they belong and their owners big off with them.

Sounds like a great idea. Good for Khan!

All he cares about is money and punishing drivers is really easy to do. Infact all Labour know how to do is tax people. They won’t be satisfied until we get dragged back to the living standards of my great grandmother.

Politicians write anything to make the population follow. And the population believe, and they follow like ducks all in a row. Soon we won’t be able to drive cars anywhere at all.

there are more people on the London commute on bikes than in private cars - so if its about money then why isn't he charging bicycles?

No! no, no, no, no, no.

I don't want people digging deeper into their pockets. I want them priced so far into oblivion that no sane person uses one.

"SUVs are 14% more likely to kill pedestrians and cyclists than other passenger cars if there is a collision, and 77% more likely to kill children."
https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/large-suvs-more-dangerous-to-pedestrians-london-may-consider-new-charges/322754

Literally no idea how anyone can defend SUVs given the figures posted by PP

I keep remembering the awful incident at The study school, wimbledon, involving the huge SUV. London does not need those monster trucks so any policy discouraging their use will be supported by many.

How about we teach kids better road safety? The amount of kids that don’t stop and check both ways is ridiculous where I live, and they always come from between two parked cars. They are still going to get hit if they don’t learn how to cross safely so it’s either educate them or ban cars full stop because people will pay the extra for SUV’s so it doesn’t really change anything.

Sounds reasonable to me.
They are more dangerous for everyone around, taking more space, and kind of forcing others to switch for the bigger cars as well, because noone wants to be disadvantaged in case that someone dumb in SUV crash into them.

This is an absolutely fantastic idea and I fully support it. There is simply no need to be driving a vehicle like this in London.

And, how many of those who are against this are actually in London? Those of us who are in London probably have a better idea of quite how inappropriate, dangerous and pointless these vehicles are for city driving.

how about teaching drivers better pavement safety, 40 pedestrians on average are killed every year on the pavement, 350 on the roads, but out of those 350 on aware there are some killed on zebra crossing and others on green man/red traffic light

YABVU @FirmNavyCat - this policy needs to happen.

30 years ago was my teenage years.

It was a blissful time when PCP finance didn’t exist and the BMW X5 was a twinkle in the manufacturer’s eye,

There was the Range Rover, the Cherokee, the Land Cruiser (a rare sight but still) and memory tells me a Shogun or two. The UK had very few models available - maybe a dozen at most.

And that was it. Because cars couldn’t be financed according to depreciation with a PCP deal, only people who either had the purpose to want to own one, or the money, had one of these things

Statistics tell us only 4.5 % of new cars registered in 2000, were SUVs.

So what happened?!
The BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport came along. In the same decade, PCP starts to flourish.

It’s a deadly cocktail for the UK car buyer - they can buy huge flashy motors now, but not have to own £20k in deposit to do a bank loan. They can just pay £400 monthly and look wealthy without risking as much.

It’s the ego of British people that has led us to this place where fewer people want to buy a Golf Estate or a Superb for family transport, but salivate over Mercedes GLEs and Defender 110s.

I wish some SUV drivers would stop talking about boot space or their dogs or whatever. Many of us in rural areas got by very happily (and still do) in Corolla estates or Volvo wagons. We don’t need an Audi Q7 to do things!

Is anyone who owns an SUV honest enough to say they want the automotive equivalent of Tomberland boots?

I have a SUV, it’s smaller than my old car. It’s also lighter than an EV. So the argument of more road space doesn’t always apply. There needs to be some parameters set if this the case.

The SUV popularity is only going to increase now with the influx of cheap Chinese versions. Most of them are far too big.

But I will add, the coolest cars are most definitely sporty estates.

I think it's a great idea. I wish they were being banned completely. Totally unnecessary.

Congratulations! Despite stiff competition you've won the "most ridiculous and hyperbolic post on Mumsnet" for this week!

They are much better over the potholes though.

I agree.
The more people have SUVs the more everyone else feels they need one in order to be safe.
It's an arms race.

The speed limit is already 20mph in much of London (and yes it’s enforced). How much slower do you want people to go? If more SUVs are involved in accidents then charge away.

You don’t think he’ll stop at SUVs do you? Be careful what you wish for.

OP if you’re worried about feeling safe while driving in London have you considered a John Deere?

Yes, they have a limited colour range but aftermarket matte grey and 3D plates can always be added later.