The scramble for larger vehicles is putting more Americans’ lives in danger

As vehicles grow ever larger in the United States, their “safety” benefits for drivers diminish while the danger for pedestrians and other drivers rises. From SUVs to oversized pickup trucks, the shift toward heftier cars has become normal for many drivers seeking a sense of security. But beyond a certain weight, these vehicles offer no extra safety to drivers and make the roads more hazardous for others. Removing just the heaviest vehicle fleet could save many lives on the road.  

Severe weather is pushing up the costs of car ownership

Ford’s Model T was a groundbreaking feat of mass production—cutting car costs by more than half over the course of a decade and spurring the massive rise in automobile use across the U.S. Those days seem far behind us, according to the latest reports. Transportation costs have risen by nearly 20% since 2022, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, and car insurance in some states could rise 50% by the end of the year.