How Oversized SUVs Are Killing Us and the Environment

A video from Not Just Bikes describes the impacts of increasingly large vehicles on road safety, public health, and the environment.

1 minute read

March 9, 2023, 12:00 PM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Row of cars in parking lot

Wellnhofer Designs / Car lot

Writing in Jalopnik, Erin Marquis urges readers to watch a YouTube video produced by Not Just Bikes which “highlights the horror” of oversized SUVs.

It’s full of verifiable facts that will leave your jaw on the floor, such as: If all SUVs were a country, it would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions (more than the Netherlands and the UK combine.) Or that the infamous Chicken Tax directly led to the rise of oversized vehicles. Or that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t crash test two different weight classes of cars against each other, despite these models sharing the same roads.

The video also offers solutions to the crisis, such as bringing back station wagons and minivans and taxing vehicles classified as ‘light trucks.’ Aside from the environmental impacts of bigger vehicles, Marquis writes, “the numbers don’t lie. As SUVs have risen, so too have pedestrian deaths, traffic fatalities, carbon emissions and the instances of children being run over, rather than backed over.”

See the source article for a link to the full video.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 in Jalopnik

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

1 hour ago - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

2 hours ago - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.