Calls are increasing for more to be done to reduce the number of SUVs in London. Nicola Pastore founded the group Solve the School Run.
Calls to ban SUVs in England with ‘size limits’ placed on cars
There are calls for SIZE LIMITS on cars in London in a dramatic shake-up. According to the campaign group Clean Cities, the number of SUVs has increased tenfold in London in 20 years from about 80,000 SUVs in 2002 to 800,000 SUVs in 2023.
Calls are increasing for more to be done to reduce the number of SUVs in London. Nicola Pastore founded the group Solve the School Run.
“SUVs are really dangerous for children,” she says. “I’m a parent of three kids all under nine and when we are navigating the urban area there are so many really big cars on the streets and it’s really scary as children hit by big cars are at much more risk.
READ MORE New car tax shake-up in 2026 could cost drivers £275million
“The really worrying thing is this issue is getting worse as more of these SUVs are getting sold every year and getting on to our streets. So it’s getting worse every year.
“We would like the councils to ultimately take action to deter the use and buying of SUVs. The measures available to them are thinking about how they can use their parking tariffs to make it more expensive to park in a city.
“If you have a big car and you are taking up more space and you’re more of a threat to the public, you should pay more.”
Dr Anthony Laverty, from Imperial College London, has carried out research into SUVs. “It is true that there are more of them around. Last year more than half of new car sales were SUVs,” he says.
“And one thing our research has focused on is their impacts on road danger. And the summary there is if an SUV hits a pedestrian or a cyclist they are much more dangerous and more likely to kill them.
“We did a review of all of the studies globally, which included half a million road traffic injuries, and that found that if you are hit by an SUV compared to being hit by a passenger car you are 44% more likely to be killed.
“Among kids it’s higher – it’s 82%. And that makes sense when we think about it. The taller, blunter bonnets mean kids are more likely to be hit in the head or the torso. The real summary is they are much more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists.”
Elly Baker, the chair of the Transport Committee on the London Assembly, is among those calling for more action to be taken.
“London’s limited road space wasn’t designed for the monster vehicles we are now seeing sold,” she told BBC London.
“SUVs are clogging up our street space, making parking difficult, and the increased bonnet height and weight increase the risk of serious injury or death in a collision.
“We should be placing limits on the size of normal vehicles, and exploring increased charges where appropriate.”