All in all, car bloat has increased vehicle prices while making autos more destructive to human life, natural ecosystems, and pavement alike. Because the full societal costs of crashes, pollution, and road repairs are not borne by owners of SUVs and trucks, every American is effectively subsidizing car bloat. Even if they drive a sedan. Even if they don’t own a car at all.
People driving massive, gas-guzzling tanks are safer on the road at the expense of every reasonably sized vehicle. Unless you need a larger SUV or truck for a specific purpose, i.e. for work or hauling, get off the fucking road with these damn things. My brother-in-law died last week in an accident involving a Ford 550 that stalled in the fast lane. BIL driving SUV for work; couldn’t stop in time, rammed into back of 550, killed. The driver of Ford 550? Uninjured.
This, of course, doesn’t even begin to touch on unnecessary over consumption of fuel, which is an equally significant concern.
I’ve been saying this for years but the death of my brother in law really drove home the point for me—if you’re not using your behemoth tank for work or specific use case hauling—you have no business driving it, and should not be allowed to use as everyday commuter vehicle.
