Saw this shared on Mastodon and it really made me think of National and their Atlas Network aligned astro-turf organisation the Taxpayer’s Onion who campaigned against what they termed the ‘ute tax’.
If the results of this 2004 study hold true 20 years later, and in New Zealand, then knowingly or not, they in effect have campaigned for and enacted legislation that will kill more New Zealanders.
"A 2004 study found that for every life saved by a motorist who switched from a car to a light truck (SUV or pickup), 4.3 other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists were killed. "
That statistic also suggests that the safety fears driving people to SUVs are completely overblown and over-egged.
The massive front blind spots of these large cars are a major factor in increased pedestrian deaths.
I drive an SUV, a mazda CX-5. Because you sit so high in the vehicle, the forward visibility is very good, better even than some cars I’ve driven.
The blind spot argument is pretty weak, in my view.
Pretty weak? There are many studies showing bigger cars are killing more pedestrians, particularly because of the front blind spot.
I drive a Ute and without the front camera, the blindspot would be terrible.
True, but how many Escalades have you seen on the road in NZ?
Probably 0
Half those vehicles don’t even exist on NZ roads, the only one I’ve seen in person is the 150, and they’re rare as hen’s teeth.
Out utes are much smaller.