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Petitions and activism
Original poster

To ask you to sign this petition to stop SUVs being driven on a standard car licence?

120 replies

dontbenastyhaveapasty · 06/07/2023 20:50

I saw this petition, and it seems like a good idea to me.

What happened at the school in Wimbledon today is too horrible to ever let it happen again. The sheer size and weight of SUVs makes them deadly to anyone they hit. And they’re totally unnecessary for 90% of their users.

Click this link to sign the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640774/sponsors/new?token=yeP8ehx43vxfZNaYPaLi

My petition:
Ban SUVs from the list of vehicles that can be driven on a standard car licence

SUVs are unnecessarily dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. Their size, weight and bonnet design result in death or serious injury that would not be caused by a similar collision in a car. The law around their categorisation needs to be revised to restrict SUV use.

Following the appalling tragedy at a school in Wimbledon, the danger SUVs pose to children has again been highlighted. Large heavy vehicles with high square bonnets are too dangerous to be a standard domestic vehicle type. Please legislate to prevent their use as a conventional domestic car. This could be by revising licence categories so SUV is a separate class, or by changing the law on vehicle design to outlaw “cars” with high or square bonnets or over a certain weight.

Click this link to sign the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640774/sponsors/new?token=yeP8ehx43vxfZNaYPaLi

Petition: Ban SUVs from the list of vehicles that can be driven on a standard car licence

SUVs are unnecessarily dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. Their size, weight and bonnet design result in death or serious injury that would not be caused by a similar collision in a car. The law around their categorisation needs to be revised to re...

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/640774/sponsors/new?token=yeP8ehx43vxfZNaYPaLi

OP posts:
Juanmartinez · 07/07/2023 17:15

There are accidents every single day in every size of vehicle, size has nothing to do with it. The accident in Wimbledon was truly awful but signing a petition to limit the size of cars , even if successful, won't stop accidents from happening.

massiveclamps · 07/07/2023 17:51

akkakk · 07/07/2023 16:16

wrong - they can drive them on the public roads - conditions might apply, e.g. proximity to a farm - but 16 year olds are driving tractors all across the country...

the petition is of course a nonsense - it is someone with a chip on their shoulder about a category of cars called 'SUVs' who has no logic other than a hatred for who they perceive might drive them!

a large number of SUVs are closer to the ground than an estate car like the volvo XC90 cross country or Audi allroad or Skoda Octavia Scout - their only difference is a slightly higher roofline (so is it height off the road that is the issue?)

a large number of SUVs weigh considerably less than a large number of luxury saloons like a rolls / bentley / lexus / mercedes / etc. (so is it weight that is the issue?)

most suvs will have better visibility than most sports cars - and def. better than the vans out on the road (so is it visibility that is the issue?)

most suvs on sale now are not even 4x4 they are 2 wheel drive - they just have a seating position that is a bit more upright (so is it the seating position that is an issue?)

modern SUVs (the car in Wimbledon is a very new Land Rover Defender) will meet all pedestrian crash requirements better than an older car on the road which meets older standards - other cars (e.g. Jaguar f-type) which are low-slung sports cars have to have mini explosives under the bonnet to pop the bonnet open on impact to protect pedestrians because their shape is worse for pedestrians! (so is it shape that is the issue?)

no - the only issue is that someone hates people they think buy SUVs and therefore is using this sad accident as an excuse to try and ban them - totally illogical, with no understanding of actual cars on the market!

quoting american stats is misleading because there is a trend in the USA for large (and that means huge!) pickups which are a totally different type of car - we have very few of those in the UK - in the UK the average SUV is likely to be sat on the MBQ platform (same as a golf) but with a different roof line and seating position!

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So are there really endless streams of 16 year-olds driving tractors willy-nilly all across the country? Or just from farm gate to field gate a few hundred yards away at about 15 miles an hour? On country roads. Where one might expect to find tractors going about their useful and necessary purpose.

GeriatricMumma · 07/07/2023 17:57

Crack a nut with a sledgehammer comes to mind.

speluncean · 07/07/2023 18:00

@massiveclamps 16 year olds can drive tractors on the road once they pass their tractor test.

www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/news-and-information/driving-tractors-at-age-16-what-is-the-law/

akkakk · 07/07/2023 18:28

massiveclamps · 07/07/2023 17:51

So are there really endless streams of 16 year-olds driving tractors willy-nilly all across the country? Or just from farm gate to field gate a few hundred yards away at about 15 miles an hour? On country roads. Where one might expect to find tractors going about their useful and necessary purpose.

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You might be surprised how many - to school - to the prom - to young farmers- probably to the pub!

massiveclamps · 07/07/2023 19:07

akkakk · 07/07/2023 18:28

You might be surprised how many - to school - to the prom - to young farmers- probably to the pub!

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Really? And there was me living in the countryside and not noticing all of that going on. Confused

JeandeServiette · 07/07/2023 19:16

There was a lad who daily drove his tractor to the DC's (outer) London school 10 years ago. Eccentric but the school didn't seem to mind.

Carlapig1 · 07/07/2023 20:19

There is data online for the UK about the size of engine and the way they are built which makes them more dangerous but accidents aren't reported according to vehicle type like the US, that's why there is more data in the USA, apparently. They are more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists etc because of their larger size, the way they are designed and the way the driver is elevated.

thenightsky · 07/07/2023 20:22

massiveclamps · 07/07/2023 19:07

Really? And there was me living in the countryside and not noticing all of that going on. Confused

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Its certainly normal in this part of rural Lincolnshire.

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 07/07/2023 20:24

Nope.

Madamecastafiore · 07/07/2023 20:25

DS drove a fucking tractor on public roads to his tractor driving test, it's allowed apparently. I was aghast, he'd only bumbled about in a field previously.

badluckorbadvibes · 07/07/2023 20:33

If anyone can explain how the test would be different and how that would prevent the driver having a medical episode whilst at the wheel?

WhimHoff · 07/07/2023 20:37

I’m guessing you don’t live in the countryside?

Bellajac · 07/07/2023 20:48

I have more of an issue that there are lots of delivery drivers riding around on scooters who have never taken a driving test.

massiveclamps · 07/07/2023 20:59

thenightsky · 07/07/2023 20:22

Its certainly normal in this part of rural Lincolnshire.

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I'm sure it's normal round here too, but you don't see as many tractors as you do SUVs.

Anway. We have digressed long enough.

DontYouThreatenMeWithADeadFish · 07/07/2023 21:33

akkakk · 07/07/2023 16:51

Why?

Bad drivers exist in all sorts of cars - ridiculous to say that all owners of a particular type of car should have extra training just because a bad driver has bought a similar car 😀

If there are drivers out there who can't reverse 10m / can't drive then report them to the DVLA / Police as appropriate - don't penalise others who can drive their cars perfectly well...

consider also that they may just be arrogant people - nothing to do with their car or their ability to drive - I have met arrogant drivers on or in everything from bicycles to 38 tonne lorries...

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Why?

Because if you can't competently drive a nearly two ton vehicle be it reverse parking or on the motorway then you are danger to other road users. I think it is ludicrous for instance that you can learn how to ride a 125cc motorbike, get your license and then be allowed to ride a 1500cc rocket. Same with cars, leaning to drive in your 1.2 litre noddy car is one thing, being allowed to get behind the wheel of a 4x4 or performance car when you have zero experience of handling such vehicles is inherently stupid.

WhimHoff · 07/07/2023 23:22

Not everyone passes their test in little cars, I’ve been driving a 4x4 since I was 17. Pre parking sensors and with a ruddy great spare wheel in your rear view mirror.

Government has scrapped the need for the trailer towing test so not sure why they would now introduce a SUV test instead.

akkakk · 07/07/2023 23:26

DontYouThreatenMeWithADeadFish · 07/07/2023 21:33

Why?

Because if you can't competently drive a nearly two ton vehicle be it reverse parking or on the motorway then you are danger to other road users. I think it is ludicrous for instance that you can learn how to ride a 125cc motorbike, get your license and then be allowed to ride a 1500cc rocket. Same with cars, leaning to drive in your 1.2 litre noddy car is one thing, being allowed to get behind the wheel of a 4x4 or performance car when you have zero experience of handling such vehicles is inherently stupid.

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I might agree more in terms of pass your test in a fiesta and then drive a Ferrari but really not with an SUV - the vast majority of those that are sold are the size of a golf / Passat and generally slower… they are no harder to drive and there is zero reason why they should be singled out for any special treatment - you have so many other cars that are bigger / heavier / faster / further off the ground that to reference any set of SUVs as though they are an analogous group is to do no research and to totally not understand cars which I am sure none of us would wish to do - the only driver in being anti them is a chip on the shoulder about who drives them - seen over the years by some of the nonsense that is said or written (like the council who wanted to charge more for them to park due to size despite the fact that virtually every single one on the market was the same or shorter than the equivalent car…

sorry but the anti SUV movement is not based on logic and this petition response is also not based on any form of logic

MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig · 07/07/2023 23:32

Once you’re used to driving an SUV, regardless of its size, it’s the same for the driver as driving a normal car. It’s whatever you’re used to. Someone used to driving an SUV could try a VW Polo for the day and balls it up because they’re not used to the car. It’s all relative.

C8H10N4O2 · 07/07/2023 23:39

Out of interest what does this petition define as an SUV?

If you are going to ask people to ban something or change the rules around it you need a very clear definition of exactly what is an SUV under the law.

"a car I think is too big" is not a definition which works well in law. If you look at car advertising then both large, small, low and high vehicles are all attracting the tag.

OdeToBarney · 07/07/2023 23:45

I cannot get over the batshittery on this (and the multiple other) threads on this topic.

Are you going to ban buses, vans and lorries too? FFS.

speluncean · 08/07/2023 00:19

@akkakk to the chippy on a Friday night where they all park up in a car park and hang out with their mates.

And yes to the prom.

And yes to school (it was winter. The buses were off).

TarquinOliverNimrod · 08/07/2023 00:24

SUVs are easy to drive. My first car was a Land Rover Disco. It was like driving a go cart. Daft petition Confused

JayAlfredPrufrock · 08/07/2023 00:28

This is getting ridiculous.

Is it because of where it happened.

GoodChat · 08/07/2023 06:12

OdeToBarney · 07/07/2023 23:45

I cannot get over the batshittery on this (and the multiple other) threads on this topic.

Are you going to ban buses, vans and lorries too? FFS.

Well you can't drive any of those on a standard license anymore to be fair