Professor of Transport & Health at Napier University, Dr Adrian Davis, writes for Transform Scotland.
“SUVs are now one of the biggest emerging threats to road safety in Scottish cities.”
A new paper by Professor Adrian Davis warns that the surge in SUV ownership is making Scotland’s streets more dangerous, congested, and polluting. Transform is publishing this paper during this year’s Road Safety Week, 16th-22nd November.
Key points:
- SUVs are rapidly increasing across Scotland, with millions of oversized vehicles now on UK roads – driving a major shift toward larger, heavier cars.
- These vehicles pose significantly greater safety risks, with children eight times more likely to die if struck by an SUV and cyclists suffering much more severe injuries.
- SUVs fuel rising emissions and environmental harm, producing far more CO₂, using more raw materials, and causing dramatically greater damage to road infrastructure.
- Their growing size worsens congestion and inequality, taking up more urban space and pushing the market away from smaller, affordable cars.
- Cities across Europe are responding with stronger policies, including weight-based parking charges, SUV advertising restrictions, and tax reforms.
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