Number of US-style “battering ram” pick-up trucks on UK roads almost doubles in a decade, leading to “parking mayhem and dangerous roads”

8 comments

1. Someone on my street has one of these and it could not scream “midlife crisis vehicle” any more. We live in suburban Birmingham and there’s just no space on the roads for something this stupidly big, and no apparent need for the storage it offers because it’s never used by this bloke that I can see. I try not to be (too) judgy of car nerds (I’m sure many of them wouldn’t see the appeal of my 1980 steel Raleigh frame) but when it comes to pick-up trucks…

2. We need to do take a leaf out of Japan’s book when they came up with the K Car category. Tax these monstrosities into oblivion and fine anyone whose car doesn’t fit fully within a parking bay (including pavement overhang). While we’re at it reclassify them as requiring B1 license since the majority of people driving them seem to have no idea how to handle such a large vehicle.

   Edit: just found out the B1 was made redundant in 2013, well bring it back I say and update it for small vans & these things

3. We have bigger causes of danger on our roads but there is always a scapegoat. And yes I don’t drive one of these things.

   But what’s next thing they want to ban!

4. We should introduce forward visibility distance onto the IVA requirements, so you can see a small child standing in front of your vehicle.

   The UK and US have different traffic laws and this leads to naturally different priorities on safety. In the UK pedestrians have priority over vehicles on all public highways unless signs indicate otherwise, but in the US it is the other way around. Therefore a pedestrian standing in front of a truck in the US is at fault if they are hit, in the UK it is the driver who is at fault. Naturally that means we must ensure drivers can see pedestrians in front of them – this is not a strong consideration for Americans.

5. Defenders are the twatmobile of choice around my area. At night they’re worst, blinding you as each headlight as the output of a small sun.

6. The situation with these is getting a bit ridiculous now. They create stupid parking situations and visibility issues. It might be a bit of unconscious bias where I pay extra attention to the parking of vehicles like this but I swear their drivers the worst and most inconsiderate parkers around. If you can’t park well don’t drive something like this.

   Also while the growth of use of these vehicles started with people who had legitimate use for them and losers who just want to look like a badass it seems to be growing in a different direction now. I hear more people now saying that they want a larger vehicle because so many other people have larger vehicles they don’t feel safe and want the protection of a larger vehicle against others which is kind of understandable. But the creation of the vehicular arms race because of some overcompensating insecure twats is ridiculous.

7. I’m from the U.K. and live in rural Virginia. We own a ford F-150 in the USA. I wouldn’t dream of getting a truck in the U.K. sometimes renting a full size when we visit is too big. 

8. I think the issue is that business owners twig that they can get a tax relief if they buy a utility vehicle, and after looking be through all the little vans they immediately become unbelievably erect over the thought of buying a gigantic pick up so they can transport their laptop to work