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Opinion Deflating SUV tyres is not welcome, but make no mistake - these vehicles are the worst

Sadhbh O’ Neill outlines why SUVs, even electric ones, are truly problematic.

LAST UPDATE | 16 Jun 2023

SUVs ARE AN environmental and social scourge. Whether we ban them in urban areas outright, as is being proposed in Germany, or we introduce new forms of taxation to regulate their weight, height and width, something must be done to stop the trend of excessively large passenger cars dominating our streets.

Recent figures show that 58% of all new car sales in 2022 were SUV type passenger vehicles. While those who buy them offer justifications such as the comfort of driving with greater visibility and a sense of safety, in practice it is the relentless advertising spend per vehicle that is driving up sales.

Estimates vary across the EU, but in France, in 2019 it was estimated that over €2300 was spent on advertising each individual SUV (a sum which would buy you a second-hand diesel car quite easily).

SUVs are not like the traditional car. Their designs are often aggressive and intimidating, and their marketing sells no-limits individualism which is exactly the opposite of what is needed to reduce climate impacts and related energy and resources equitably.

brownsuvcarparkedintheparkinglotbesidethe Urban drivers of SUVs are heavily criticised for using the heavy gas-guzzlers in cities. Shutterstock / JC_STOCKER Shutterstock / JC_STOCKER / JC_STOCKER

According to Professor Brian Caulfield of Trinity College, ever-increasing sales of SUVs are cancelling out the benefits of electric vehicles, contributing to rising transport emissions just when they should be going down.

This is because SUVs use far more energy than medium sized cars. Petrol or diesel SUVs for example consume roughly 20% more oil, and electric SUVs use more electricity which can be as much as 60% higher.

‘It’s ok, I drive an electric SUV’

Electric SUVs also require more critical raw materials for their larger batteries, plus more steel, plastic, rubber etc. And since more power is needed, re-charging electric SUVs adds to overall electricity consumption.

doubleovalexhausttipsonamodernsuvcaror Shutterstock / Anze Furlan Shutterstock / Anze Furlan / Anze Furlan

Over their full life, large SUVs use 63% more energy than lower medium (LM) sized cars. A particularly worrying trend is the ‘SUVisation’ of the car fleet through EVs.

The larger the SUV the more materials are used in their design and batteries, reducing the EVs accessibility and affordability across all income levels.

So pushing ever-higher SUVisation via EVs may also threaten public acceptance for the electrification of passenger vehicles, which is still needed.

Interestingly, studies have found that SUVs are involved in more law-breaking. A Canadian simulator study from 2007 got the same drivers to drive at high (SUV) and low eye height. It found that drivers choose to drive faster when they view the road from an eye height that is representative of a large SUV”. At high (SUV) eye height they also drove “with more variability, and were less able to maintain a consistent position within the lane”.

Dangerous to others

There are also major road safety concerns about the design of SUVs. A US study compared SUVs and regular cars in real-world cyclist crashes and found that SUVs were disproportionately likely to throw bicyclists forward onto the ground and inflict injury by running them over.

The size and shape of the SUV front grill is most responsible for differences in injury severity, with severe head injuries typical in SUV crashes.

With ordinary cars, the impact of a collision tends to be more distributed resulting in less severe injuries. And the same is true of pedestrian safety. The taller front end of SUVs tends to strike pedestrians above their centres of gravity rather than below them (as in the case of car impacts), which results in pedestrians being thrown forward and down.

modernsuvcarrunningonasphaltroadbicyclelane Shutterstock / SKT Studio Shutterstock / SKT Studio / SKT Studio

More and more research is becoming available that highlights the additional safety risks that SUVs pose to vulnerable road users. But it is the impact on road use that is even more insidious and damaging. SUVs literally take up more space on streets, squeezing out cycling and walking. These vehicles are the apotheosis of our car culture; gigantic status symbols that are choking our towns and cities, our children and our climate.

Tyres targeted

It is no wonder that the seriousness and urgency of the climate crisis may lead some individuals to feel frustrated and desperate, believing that more radical actions are necessary than polite letters to the government.

They might argue that the harm caused by the continued use of SUVs and other carbon-intensive vehicles outweighs the damage caused by deflating tyres.

Targeting individual owners of SUVs might of course be counter-productive in the longer run, and undermine public support for the actions needed to improve road safety, cycling and public transport. Discovering that your tyres have been deflated by activists is understandably distressing and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, and I certainly don’t condone damage to private property.

But we do need to talk about regulating SUVs out of our cities. The damage that car culture and car dominance is doing is a crisis for the whole of our society but especially children who cannot safely walk to local schools, or play on their streets. People on lower incomes whose day-to-day experience of transport poverty should be front and centre in planning policy.

Many supporters of climate action would likely reject and condemn the actions of Tyre Extinguishers, emphasising the importance of nonviolence, legality, and maintaining public support. However, the climate action movement is broad and diverse, and it is crucial to recognise that climate action requires a range of strategies and approaches.

While peaceful and legal means is my priority to build broad public support and bring about systemic change, it is also important to recognise the value of actions that disrupt the “normal” world view that is driving climate breakdown.

Sadhbh O’ Neill is a researcher and lecturer in climate policy. She is the coordinator of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition but is writing this article in a purely personal capacity. 

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146 Comments
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    Mute Declan Byrne
    Favourite Declan Byrne
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    Feb 4th 2014, 8:24 AM

    Let me tell you about separation amd divorce well there is only one winner that is solicitors and barristers. If the divorce is messy you can be looking at 25 to 45 k figure.

    The courts are a joke you could be in for a 5 minute hearing and told to come back in a month then your case might not ne heard if the courts too busy.

    If the other side doesnt turn up they are usualy given 3 tries on turning up and still a jidge doesnt like making a decision if the other side isnt there.

    It is a nightmare.

    My advice even if you hate each other try and be on talking terms for the divorce or not you both walk away with hefty bills.

    Another point don’t think you are going to out smart the courts and dont think your lies wont catch up with you. Don’t think you will get all most likely it will be 50 50.

    50
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    Mute Just4 TheJournal
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    Feb 4th 2014, 8:26 AM

    In 20 years time you’ll be able to get married and divorce using only a QR code. It will eventually be so easy to get divorced there will be no point getting married except to give the hotel a year’s wages.

    22
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    Mute Doey Walsh
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    Feb 4th 2014, 8:45 AM

    Bit sad that we look at divorce and separation so lightly nowadays IMO.

    Still, one more reason not to get married I suppose.

    19
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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Feb 4th 2014, 8:57 AM

    Doey divorce and sepeartion is necessary as there is nothing as bad as been in a relationship that is on the rocks. Relationships break down for many reasons and not all can be sorted .

    By no means is separation or divorce easy it is very taxing on a person both health wise and mentally plus financially. There is no such thing as an easy way out.

    44
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    Mute Doey Walsh
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    Feb 4th 2014, 9:11 AM

    I completely agree with you Dec, which is why I say it should be avoided, for me the courts treat it like a circus and its vicious for everyone involved.

    17
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    Mute Ernie Looney
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    Feb 4th 2014, 11:36 AM

    The length of time required to wait for a divorce should be reduced to two years and a separate court to deal with it.

    16
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Feb 4th 2014, 9:04 AM

    I’m divorced from somebody who doesn’t exist because the Registrar General did not act when informed of a fraud on a marriage certificate and judges didn’t read the paperwork.
    The system is designed so that if anyone has a real issue, they are expected to sort it out on appeal.
    After almost 15 years of divorce there are still no plans to introduce a register of divorces and more plans to make an offence for whistleblowing in childcare proceedings.

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    Mute Eilish Deegan
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    Feb 4th 2014, 9:02 AM

    Or u could read The Midnight Companion ,written to help Irish people (especially) to deal with the emotional side to divorce and separation .Its brilliant.

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    Mute Randy Fisher
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    Feb 6th 2014, 5:05 PM

    Never get married. Rent it but don’t buy it.

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    Mute Catherine Mill
    Favourite Catherine Mill
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    Feb 4th 2014, 6:31 PM

    The court corporation is designed to make profit with judge as banker and solicitors soliciting business, “expert” witnesses” guardians etc feeding off the misery of all involved.
    Solicitors will egg their client on to cause drama and prolong the case,set parties against each other and therein lies the profit.

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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Feb 4th 2014, 6:23 PM

    We could return to our own marriage laws and keep away from the British family law system.

    We could only marry the other being and not have the church/state in the contract.

    Then we would never have to seek permission from the 3rd party in the contract and go to court, solicitors etc

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    Mute Ina Smidiríní
    Favourite Ina Smidiríní
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    Feb 5th 2014, 10:07 AM

    Only the lowest of low amongst solicitors do this work. If you meet a family law solicitor on a night out just walk the other way.

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