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SUV
Read more about: Environment, Road Safety, Transport
I was listening to morning Ireland’s feature on SUV’s today(Real Player reqd) and I was shocked at the level of knowledge of driving by the people in the vox pop. They were asking SUV drivers in Dublin about why they had SUV’s. A few people when asked about the dangers to other road users caused by SUV’s most said “I am a safe driver so it doesn’t really matter I won’t be in crash’s. Thing is Safey McSafe the safest driver in the world could be in an accident because while you might be safe you have no idea what the other drivers and road users might do. And if you don’t realise that and that an SUV will do more damage in this scenario, should you really be driving.
The main argument for the SUV by people was that they have so many kids that they need these SUV’s. Yet in Ireland the average number of kids is just about 2. Can kids not fit in the back of a hatchback? Indeed with most cars and children under lets say 15. You could fit 3 kids in the back seat belted. Until you start increasing the numbers above that would you need a bigger car and then you need a people carrier. Most SUV’s I have ever seen hold about as many people as a hatchback. Look at most Land Rovers. They are not designed to take 6-7 passengers. Look at most SUV you pass on the street how many of them do you see hauling 5 kids in the back? Very few, many are single occupier.
I also found it funny the people going on about how they are environmentally aware, how good they are as they recycle and all that while still having an SUV. Sad thing is they probably vote the Green party.
In the city an SUV is a waste of space and petrol/diesel. Even in the countryside it can be a waste. How many farmers actually go off road in their jeep? Most do what needs to be done in the tractor. Only using the jeep in a work capacity for going to the creamery to collect nuts for cows, and a bag or 2 of fertilizer. Which could easily be put in a trailer pulled by the farmer’s favourite the Toyota Corolla.
While I would not call for a ban on SUV’s as there is people who need them. I fully support the governments measures to penalise them, and indeed the increase in parking charges in Dublin. But with all things like this people who buy SUV’s can afford all this stuff. So the increase will do little to stop them buying these cars. Maybe if they just released how much big a twat they are they might change.
Yeah I was just thinking about the “but I recycle” line just as I was reading the first few lines. I know people who are or were in denial that their SUVs are in fact an SUVs, after admitting their gas suckers are such the excuse turned to “but I don’t drive it that much”.
The argument that they must have an SUV is usually put down to safety, claiming like Jeremy Clarkson, that they must have one because there is now so many SUVs and other larger vehicles on the road. But the general safety record of SUVs isn’t that great – whether it’s the higher possibility that a child could be knocked down when reversing or the higher possibility of rollovers.
All this ‘rent’ does, is serve to buffer the status of the SUV. These people who can afford to drive SUVs can also afford to pay a little extra for the added benefit of parking permits from the corporation.
The US has a massive SUV market, propagated by weather concerns etc. I suggest a survey at some of the various Dublin fee paying schools will show that many ‘little Johnnys’ are dropped to school in Mom or Dads SUV.
Its the bull bars that ‘wreck my head’ excuse the pun, fully intended.
Agree with all that’s been said. The obvious way of getting SUVs off Dublin streets and where they belong (driving off-road in the wilds of Mayo) is to impose a financial penalty on SUV drivers, either through VRT or through a road-use charge. The new parking charges are a (small) step in the right direction.
But the gas thing is … drivers of luxury SUVs actually pocketed €3.5 million in tax rebates last year. These so-called ‘green’ rebates were intended to encourage hybrid cars, but they are granted regardless of the emissions actually generated. For example, the Lexus RX 400h SUV will attract a VRT rebate of €11,662 because it has a hybrid engine – despite the fact that it emits more CO2 than a standard saloon.
All in all, it doesn’t look as though SUV drivers have much to fear … yet.