Overview

• Clean Cities reports SUVs rose from about 3% to 30% of city cars since 2002, with London growing from roughly 80,000 to about 800,000 by 2023.
• If parked side by side, London’s SUV fleet would cover an area equal to Kensington and Chelsea, while England’s 8.2 million SUVs would exceed Manchester’s footprint.
• Studies cited by campaigners say SUVs are 14% more likely to kill a pedestrian or cyclist and 77% more likely to kill a child than standard cars.
• Visibility tests commissioned by Transport & Environment found some high-front SUVs leave drivers unable to see children directly in front, including up to age nine for the Ram TRX and up to four-and-a-half for the Land Rover Defender.
• Advocates urge UK councils and Labour to adopt weight- or size-based fees after Paris cut street SUV parking by about two-thirds, with Cardiff, Lambeth, Bristol and Bath exploring measures and polling showing 59% of Londoners back higher charges.