SUVs Are Killing The Planet

Over recent years we have seen car companies pushing the development of bigger, taller, heavier models – a trend that started in the US, but which has now become a global phenomenon thanks to aggressive marketing.

The rise of the SUV, and its siblings such as the crossover and the compact SUV, has been swift, but so have the emissions and safety implications – and the damaging effect of these vehicles to the environment and pedestrians, cyclists and other road users has come rushing to the fore.

Today we look at the rise of the SUV, and why you shouldn’t buy into the marketing of these vehicles – and why they are a leading cause of the global rise in carbon dioxide emissions.

What is an SUV?

A sports utility vehicle (SUV) is a large car that is heavily inspired by off-road vehicles, and can often go by other names, such as Crossover or 4x4.

All of these vehicles share common features, such as raised ground clearance, a high front bumper, and an elevated driving position. They are also some of the heaviest passenger vehicles on the road, meaning they are known for high fuel consumption.

However, in truth, the marketing of these vehicles reflects the fact that manufacturers needed a new niche to promote after they had saturated the market with their products. In this manner, they are a compromise in order to market a product that consumers do not need – much like the iPad Mini, which former Apple CEO Steve Jobs called a “compromised product we’d never make”.

Why are SUVs so harmful to the environment?

A 2019 study by the International Energy Agency found that SUVs were the second largest cause of the global rise in carbon dioxide emission over the past decade – contributing considerably more than all aviation, shipping and heavy industry outputs

“These SUVs are named after mountains and other places you’ll never go to. They created a market that pushes our buttons.”

It is ironic then, that these cars are marketed on safety and protecting our families, when they are a leading contributor to climate change – something that is estimated to cause an additional 250,000 deaths each year from 2030.

Echoing this sentiment, Sebastian Castellanos, a researcher at the New Urban Mobility Alliance, commented: “To avert the worst of the climate catastrophe, the transport sector needs to be completely decarbonised. With the explosion of SUV sales, we are moving even farther away from our goal of decarbonising the sector”.

That’s not to mention the immediate impact on human health caused by SUVs – with more than 500,000 early deaths each year in the EU alone attributed to air pollution.

Why are SUVs so harmful to pedestrians, cyclists and other road users?

While SUVs are a major contributor to the climate crisis, they are also a major threat to the safety of other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians.

Much of this comes from their increased height and weight compared to other cars on the road. While the majority of road vehicles are designed with the safety of pedestrian collisions in mind – trying to send them over the car in the safest possible manner – SUVs are most likely to impact pedestrians and cyclists in their vital organs, resulting in either instant death, or dragging them under the car, where chances of survival are at their lowest.

To illustrate this, a 2020 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that 100% of pedestrians in SUV collisions at speeds of 40mph (64kph) or greater died, versus 54% who were struck by more smaller, more traditional cars.

“100% of pedestrians in SUV collisions at speeds of 40mph (64kph) or greater died”

In the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that pedestrian deaths from SUVs have risen by 81% in the past decade. Unfortunately no data for the safety implications of SUVs in Ireland is available, as such studies have not been undertaken to date.

While some efforts to reduce the mortality rate of SUVs, such as trials of pedestrian airbags or mooted installation of driver-assist systems, these do little more than mitigate the already high likelihood of death, without tackling the underlying cause – or their harmful emissions.

What about electric SUVs?

While electric SUVs are significantly greener to run than their petrol or diesel counterparts, they are still unnecessarily heavy and require a lot more energy to run – which also means they will cost you considerably more in the long-run.

In addition, their size means that they require more materials to build – both in terms of the bodywork and the battery. As these precious resources become more and more scarce, we cannot afford to waste them on vehicles that are so incredibly inefficient.

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