Revving Up the Risks: An Unveiled Insight into the Consequences of SUV Boom
Larger Vehicles like SUVs Contribute to Congested Roadways and Pose a Greater Risk than Compact Cars in Accidents
Today's vehicles have ballooned to previously unimaginable sizes. Take the Ford F150, for instance, which has expanded by 75cm in length, 20cm in height, and gained 483kg since 1991. This upward trend in vehicle sizes isn't limited to the Ford F150; the same grandiose design can be seen across the automotive industry.
It's no secret that the latest craze is all about our ever-expanding passion for SUVs and light truck vehicles (LTVs), with them taking up eight out of the top ten spots in the US and nine out of the top ten in New Zealand. Globally, SUVs now account for a whopping 48% of the new car market, an astronomical rise from the humble 15% in 2010.
But as these larger vehicles glide onto our roads, they bring with them a trail of problems. The most glaring issue is their disastrous impact on the environment. Transportation accounts for a staggering 15% of global CO2 emissions, and SUVs and LTVs play a major part in that colossal pollution. Alarmingly, if ranked as a country, the global SUV fleet would outpace the emissions of several major economies, including Japan. To make matters worse, electric SUVs and LTVs contribute their fair share to environmental harm, as they still produce prodigious amounts of rubber wear particles. These teeny-tiny emissions from tyre erosion can infiltrate our waterways, causing all manner of environmental and health concerns.
To understand the nuances of how supersized vehicles affect urban lifestyles, let's unpack two intriguing new research studies focusing on the negative implications of SUVs and LTVs on traffic and safety. These investigations originated from diverse disciplines and didn't involve any shared researchers - yet they reached the same startling conclusion: these supersized vehicles are creating a ruckus in our urban spaces.
The Gridlock Aggravator
There are plethora of reasons for the clogging streets in your city. Less funding for public transit, inadequate bike lanes, a burgeoning population, or urban sprawl - these factors can all contribute to our increasing reliance on personal vehicles. But a recent study by University of Sydney professor David Levinson and City University of Hong Kong data scientist Dr. Yang Gao suggests that adding more larger vehicles to the equation is pushing traffic congestion to new heights.
The pair delved into decades of traffic data from the Minneapolis-St. Paul freeway system and found that the average network throughput - a measure of traffic flow - has plummeted from 1850 vehicles per hour in 1995 to around 1600 in 2019. Where the number of vehicles on the Twin Cities' freeways grew tenfold during this period, SUVs were at the forefront of this growth. Although there was a slight uptick in the number of tractor-trailers, the impact on traffic flow from these larger freight-carrying trucks was nil compared to the dramatic negative influence of SUVs.
Levinson and Gao's data showed that larger vehicles, such as SUVs, impose a greater delay on vehicles behind them than do smaller cars. It would appear that the bigger the vehicle, the longer the braking distance and the wider the gap needed between cars, leading to a further deceleration of traffic flow.
An Unnerving Increase in Danger
In contrast to the widely held belief that SUVs offer heightened safety for their occupants, a new study from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London demonstrates that these larger vehicles pose significant safety risks for both drivers and pedestrians alike.
The study, which reviewed data from nearly 700,000 real-world car crashes from the last 35 years, found that pedestrians struck by an SUV or LTV suffer more severe injuries and face a significantly increased risk of death than those hit by a traditional passenger car. Sadly, this risk is even greater for children. Youngsters hit by an SUV are an astounding 82% more likely to perish than children struck by a standard car.
These findings are deeply concerning, as they underscore that our cities should do more to combat the impending threat of supersized vehicles. From increasing parking charges for larger vehicles in Paris, to banning advertising for SUVs in some cities, to adopting stricter fuel efficiency standards, the scientific community and urban planners are collectively recognizing that the widespread popularity of these trucks has the power to thwart road safety improvements and halt progress towards a cleaner future.
- The surge in SUV and light truck vehicle (LTV) popularity, defined by their occupying eight out of the top ten spots in the US and nine out of the top ten in New Zealand, has resulted in a significant expansion of vehicle sizes across the automotive industry.
- Today's SUVs account for a staggering 48% of the new car market, a stark contrast to 15% in 2010, contributing to a disastrous impact on the environment and global CO2 emissions from transportation.
- Scientific research studies have discovered that SUVs and LTVs worsen traffic congestion in urban spaces, causing delays for vehicles behind them due to increased braking distances and roadblock sizes.
- The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, in conjunction with Imperial College London, found that pedestrians struck by an SUV or LTV suffer more severe injuries and are at a significantly increased risk of death compared to those hit by a traditional passenger car.
- In response to these findings, urban planners and the scientific community are employing various measures such as higher parking charges for larger vehicles, SUV ad bans in certain cities, and stricter fuel efficiency standards to mitigate the threats posed by supersized vehicles to road safety and the environment.
- Climate change and environmental concerns are increasingly becoming a priority in the finance and automotive industries, as the environmental harm caused by SUVs and LTVs is rivaling the emissions of some major economies.
- With environmental health and wellness taking center stage in general news and policy discussions, the industry must examine its role in supporting the transition towards eco-friendly transportation solutions, such as electric and hybrid vehicles, to minimize emissions and lessen the impact on the climate.
- As accidents involving supersized vehicles continue to rise and traffic congestion becomes a pressing issue in urban areas, it is likely that crime-and-justice and health-and-wellness sectors will play increasing roles in shaping regulations and policies to ensure the safety and well-being of all road users.
