781
Paris is saying ‘non’ to a US-style hellscape of supersized cars – and so should the rest of Europe
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2023
781 points (97.9% liked)
Europe
8324 readers
1 users here now
News/Interesting Stories/Beautiful Pictures from Europe 🇪🇺
(Current banner: Thunder mountain, Germany, 🇩🇪 ) Feel free to post submissions for banner pictures
Rules
(This list is obviously incomplete, but it will get expanded when necessary)
- Be nice to each other (e.g. No direct insults against each other);
- No racism, antisemitism, dehumanisation of minorities or glorification of National Socialism allowed;
- No posts linking to mis-information funded by foreign states or billionaires.
Also check out [email protected]
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
There’s more to consider than just “I am comfortable”, imo. Fuel economy, wear and tear on the roads, and safety (for you and those around you) are important factors as well.
Bigger and heavier vehicles tend to have worse fuel economy. This not only costs the owner more money, but it also is worse for the environment. However, this may be an outgoing trend as more hybrid/electric pick up trucks and such are coming to market.
Bigger and heavier vehicles cause more wear and tear on roadways. This, in turn, increases the frequency of required road maintenance (read: requires more tax revenue), or else the road may become treacherous to drive on.
Bigger and heavier vehicles are proven to be safer (aside from rolling) for passengers in many regards - the size makes it safer for passengers inside the vehicle, since there is more car to take the impact before reaching the passengers. In a vehicle collision, the passengers in a heavier vehicle are safer than the lighter one, as the heavy vehicle will put more force on the lighter one. This is good for the passengers of the heavier vehicle, but much worse for the others.
I drive a 7000lb vehicle. My passengers are very comfortable and safe. I am fine with everything else you’ve laid out as long as 1 my family is safe and 2 we are comfortable. I’m happy to trade off on everything else on your list to maximize the results for 1 and 2.
I thank whatever deity or random chance that happened that I don’t live like a Europoor in a country that can limit my choices.
"everyone else will suffer for my comfort, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make"
Only you don't have to give up comfort for efficiency and road safety. Large sedans/wagons offer generous trunk space, ample seating for multiple adults, and very comfortable accomidations. Yet they don't worsen traffic safety for others, and they offer superior protection with their lower rollover risk.