This is a distinctly North American issue. Pickup trucks either don't exist in Europe or are not insanely oversized. I mean, pickups often looks North American drivers: bloated, unhealthy, taking up too much room on the planet. Because of the narrow streets in Europe you see tiny lorries managing to carry the same load as the F350s. But how is that possible you ask? Because those giant pickups are all aesthetics for "bigger is better" Americans and has nothing to do with mechanics or functionality.
I had a student lose their life like this, and I'm sure if the person wasn't driving such a big vehicle, they would have seen the student in time to stop.
Yet it is the EPA regulations on emissions by vehicle wheelbase that have led manufacturers to continuously increase size rather than reduce emissions. Great job...
Directly regulating the size isn't the only possibility though, huge cars are really rare in the EU even though there isn't anything prohibiting you from buying them. You just won't fit anywhere with one if you do :)
I recently moved to a state where there are so many giant vehicles, and I drive a compact car. The front of the hood of an f-150 is as tall as my entire car. I feel like I'm the closest to the ground out of all the cars on the highway. You see all these big trucks and SUVs having a hard time maneuvering in parking lots. Why do all these people need such giant vehicles? Gas is expensive enough in my little tiny car, is the worse mileage even worth it?
Bring back the station wagon 😭 I want a hybrid wagon, but the Volvo is is prices so no one can afford it lol... I really don't want to get the Chrysler van...
Should be required by law that all new cars have Pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM) systems. In the same way that seatbelts and rear cameras are required. Would be surprised if it’s nit required by 2030.
There are a few minibuses that my local transit provider operates for suburban routes, the kind that's a bus cabin bolted to a modified Ford truck body or van. Something I noticed riding those buses is that the operator sits lower and has a smaller engine compartment obstructing their view than a lot of five-seater SUVs.
More and more of these are coming into Australia. They carry extremely small dick vibes. They are fucking annoying how much road space they take up. It's comical watching them drive around a car park. My friend bought a RAM and his personality changed with it in that he actually belittles our cars and kind of acts like we are weak?! He works as a corporate job and has absolutely no need for such a car apart from helping his inferiority complex. Now I can't help but dislike anyone who has one of these.
They’ll cover them in corporate “crash detection” cameras for which you need to pay a monthly subscription and they take all the data and sell it to cops anyway. It’s a win-win-win for capitalism!
Trucks are commercial vehicles. You need them for towing, hauling and other construction related activities. License, permit and tax them as such. If you have a huge boat or RV you need to tow, get and pay for a permit. Have the taxes be based on mileage so the more they're used, the more expensive it is. We invented weigh stations to make trucks compensate for the additional strain they put on roads. Same for these trucks. That'll help prevent them from being daily drivers.
SUV owner here (out of necessity, not penis enhancement. Also, my car is still reasonably sized), and I could help but laugh at how well this comic captures cars' takeover of streets. "Shortwalking" is just as valid of a term as "jaywalking". Both introduced to shame pedestrians.