Active travel campaigners call for higher taxes on “supersized” SUVs to tackle “carspreading”, claiming they are more dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians and cause more pothole damage

Active travel campaigners from the UK are calling for higher taxes on the owners of “supersized” SUV to tackle the phenomenon of “carspreading”, pointing out that academic studies show them to be more dangerous to cyclists, pedestrians, and smaller car users, as well as causing more pothole damage while also being unable to fit in most parking spaces.

A YouGov survey conducted in January found that only 18 per cent car owners in Britain held the belief that there shouldn’t be any additional charges on SUV owners. Clean Cities, a European active travel organisation campaigning for healthy and climate-friendly transport, has pointed to this study to demand changes in the current auto taxation system.

Its researchers found that since 2021, around 4.6 million cars have been sold in the UK, which were bigger than a typical urban car parking space — more than 1.2 million a year, with SUV sales figures pointing upwards.

“Supersized” SUVs, which the campaign described as being either more than 1.8m wide or 4.8m long, have been growing in popularity despite them crowding out space in towns and cities, causing more road wear and being more likely to cause fatal injuries for children, cyclists and those driving smaller cars.

> SUVs more dangerous to cyclists than other cars, study suggests

It claimed that if you were to add up just the extra length and width that overhanging SUVs take up, it would stretch for over 192 miles, the equivalent of driving from London to Leeds. 

Oliver Lord, UK Head of Clean Cities, said: “Cars are getting bigger every year — while our streets are not. We need carmakers to prioritise normal-sized cars that can be parked more easily and are less dangerous to people walking around. It’s only fair if you want to buy a massive SUV that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up.”

To tackle the phenomenon known as “carspreading”, the campaigners are calling for fairer taxes in favour of lighter and more appropriately sized cars and for parking costs in cities to be based on the size of a car. 

Carspreading (credit: Clean Cities)

A new academic paper, published earlier this week, shows that heavier cars are more likely to be involved in fatal collisions, and average car weight in the UK is increasing. 

This may lead to a rise in fatal collisions if the trend continues, the academics warn. Reducing car weight could mitigate the severity and frequency of collisions, while academics suggested that policymakers could consider “taxation on heavier cars” and that “local authorities could adjust parking policies to charge higher fees for heavier cars”.

The study, led by civil engineer Ruth Carlson and co-authored by Nima Dadashzadeh, assistant professor in transport and business analytics at the University of Huddersfield, is based on preliminary findings with the full paper out later this year. 

> SUVs 'eight times more dangerous' to kids walking or cycling than smaller cars are

New taxes could reap significant rewards for HM Treasury and the Department of Transport. As well as the additional revenue, discouraging sales of heavier cars could reduce road maintenance costs.

According to ‘the fourth power law’’, a formula developed by US Highway Officials, the damage done by a vehicle to a road surface is proportional to the fourth power of its axle weight.

A two-tonne SUV therefore does 16 times more damage than a one-tonne car. The potholing of road surfaces is even worse when it rains because heavier vehicles create much stronger hydraulic pressure, forcing water into any flaws and breaking up the road surface.

SUV and cars parked (credit: Clean Cities)

Harriet Edwards, a concerned parent from Sutton, said, “It’s not just the added stress of not being able to find somewhere to park, it’s the sense that if I’m involved in a collision with one of these giant SUVs, that me and my family are far more likely to be seriously hurt or killed.

“If you cause more danger, create more potholes and take up more parking space, it’s only fair that you pay a little bit more.”

Figures from the RAC show drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales and the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average, with more severe repairs costing considerably more. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96% of drivers. 

Edmund King, the president of the AA, is on record as saying: “Better maintenance of the road network is the number one concern of drivers as damage costs a fortune and potholes can be fatal for those on two wheels.”

> "Increasingly at risk of fatal injuries": Danger to cyclists posed by larger, heavier cars laid bare by new research

Child walking in front of SUV (credit: Clean Cities)

According to the YouGov polling, 61 per cent of UK passenger car owners agree that “SUVs take up too much space”, while only 19 per cent disagree. Further, 71 per cent of car owners also agree that SUVs make parking more difficult, while only 15 per cent disagree.

A 2023 study from the US also found that SUVs are causing more cyclist injuries, with crashes with SUVs resulting in 55 per cent more trauma and 63 per cent more head injuries than crashes with cars, owing to taller front-end designs.

A year prior, another US study showed that SUVs are eight times more dangerous to kids walking or cycling than smaller cars are. It also found that although SUVs are involved in much fewer crashes than standard cars, they are twice as fatal.