Socially unacceptable vehicles

AKA Selfish user vehicles.

AKA Sports Utility Vehicles.

These are too big. They clog up the road and get in the way. They use too much fuel and emit too much carbon dioxide. They are more dangerous to other road users than ordinary cars because of their large size. In an accident involving an SUV there is a greater risk to pedestrians as people tend to go underneath the wheels rather than over the bonnet.

I suppose people buy them because they make the driver feel safe and powerful. I presume also that people who buy them are the same sort of people who like to have status symbols and these cars are status symbols, telling the world that that the owner has plenty of money to spend on a big expensive car and large quantities of expensive fuel.

One idea I had is to ask people, at point of purchase, to sign a declaration to show that they understand the implications of buying and running a SUV. Maybe this might make them think again and choose something more responsible.