Ryan Wen ’27
Large cars, such as pickup trucks or SUVs, are becoming the new vehicle of choice for the American populace. In 2011, SUVs and pickups made up 52% of new car sales. Then, in 2023, that figure soared to 80% (JD Power). These vehicles are also growing bigger, increasing by roughly 1 c.m. every two years, according to the non-profit Transport and Environment. Lorie Harding, the librarian, shares, “20 or 30 years ago, there were pickup trucks, there were station wagons, and there were cars, and then when SUVs came, all of a sudden, like, not only can you not see over the pickup truck, you couldn’t see over the SUV.” However, this trend of roads and highways being filled by larger and larger cars is not a harmless, natural reflection of the average American citizen’s evolving needs, but an unnecessary risk taken by millions of Americans every day that endangers thousands of people in the process.
Large vehicles are extremely dangerous to drivers and pedestrians. Unlike nearly every other developed country in the world, traffic fatalities in the U.S. have risen within the past decade. While there are a multitude of factors that contribute to this increase, the growing size of the average American car plays an indisputable role. This is an especially relevant concern at Episcopal Academy, where many high school students have just begun to drive. Melanie Kryukov ’25 shares: “[SUVs] are a lot easier to crash and do a lot more damage to smaller cars. It’s especially dangerous in the EA community because of the number of inexperienced student drivers driving these cars.”
Indeed, an enticing factor of bigger cars is the higher seat position they offer. However, this added height hampers the ability of drivers to see oncoming pedestrians and children, making them twice as likely to hit passersby when compared to smaller cars that are lower to the ground. Ava Soroush ’25, who drives a Land Rover Discovery, notes that visibility is an issue for her: “Parking is a guesstimate, curbs are a guesstimate, and I’m not short.”
These larger blindspots help explain so many frontover collisions in the U.S.—strikes where drivers crash into civilians head-on—are attributed to SUVs, pickups, and vans. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway and Safety found that SUVs were 61% and pickups were 80% more likely than cars to hit pedestrians walking or running on a road, with minivans and vans being 45% more likely to be involved in these crashes.
The higher hood height of larger vehicles also raises a separate safety concern. If a passerby is struck by an SUV or truck, they’re likely to be hit in their head or torso, where vital organs are located. Meanwhile, the front of a shorter car is only usually tall enough to hit the legs of passersby, thereby inflicting injuries that are significantly less life-threatening than those to the head and waist. According to a study published in the journal Economics of Transportation analyzing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash data from 2016 to 2021, 11.9% of pedestrians hit by pickup trucks were killed in the crash, with the statistic increasing to 12.4% for those struck by full-size SUVs.
The added weight of larger cars also decreases maneuverability; SUVs and pickup trucks frequently perform worse on handling and braking tests than smaller vehicles. When this subpar agility is combined with the greater contact force of large cars as well as their propensity to strike critical organs, it’s easy to see the role that big vehicles play in the rise of traffic fatalities. It is important to remember that safe driving practices and attention on the road are the primary factors influencing the safety level of all cars.
Photo courtesy of Emma Anderson ’26
Advocates for trucks and SUVs argue that their safety risks are justified because Americans now need the extra space found in these vehicles. Some occupations or lifestyles certainly require the larger cargo capacity of pickup trucks or the additional row of seats in SUVs. Lorie Harding, Upper School Librarian, explains that she drives a Honda CR-V instead of a sedan because “I have two kids and a dog… the vehicle that I have is a reflection of where I am in my life.” Furthermore, Will Patterson ’27 adds, “For longer road trips [my family] needs to carry more gear, and a sedan just doesn’t have enough space.”
However, the hoards of massive cars found on roads nowadays are not due to a sudden influx of Americans buying larger cars because their daily activities require them to. SUV and pickup truck sales initially soared in the U.S. largely because of federal loopholes that made manufacturing larger cars more profitable, leading to automakers promoting larger cars over smaller ones (Keith Bradsher, High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV). Today, it seems as though more and more people own large cars for no practical reason. Kryukov states, “I do believe more people drive bigger cars. A lot of new nice models of bigger cars are being made and bought, especially at EA. For example, I used to consider big cars to be for a big family, but now teenagers will drive BMWs to school.” This trend is likely due to the common consensus among parents and teenagers that SUVs are generally safer for the driver. Elizabeth Hershey ’25 comments, “Having driven in my mom’s Mini Cooper and Chevy Tahoe, I can say that while I feel more in control of the Mini Cooper due to its tight handling, the Tahoe feels more secure… if I were to crash, I know that the Tahoe would be safer than the Mini Cooper.”
SUVs, trucks, and minivans should not be banned from roads, as they each serve their own distinct and valuable purpose. However, they bring with them potentially fatal repercussions that aren’t justified by the average American’s lifestyle. Therefore, the American public should reconsider and adjust the choices they’re making at the dealership and start buying fewer massive cars.