Data has shown that the amount of “American-style” pickup trucks have nearly doubled in Britain over the past decade. The vehicles pose a greater danger to vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, and are also more harmful to the environment, prompting campaigners to label them “battering rams.”
Analysis of Department for Transport data by Clean Cities has revealed that registrations of pickup trucks have risen by 92% in just over a decade, with nearly 590,587 on Britain’s roads, compared with 308,103 in 2014. This is posing a risk in urban areas where the vehicles may not be suited to narrow streets, pavements, and school environments.
Clean Cities has called for higher parking fees for larger and more damaging vehicles, as well as applying safety requirements to pickup trucks. This includes testing whether a child can be seen from the driver’s seat.
“This boom in US-style pickup trucks is lifestyle over practicality in exchange for parking mayhem and dangerous roads,” Oliver Lord, the UK head of Clean Cities said. “City leaders must act to discourage these menacing vehicles from our streets. How is it acceptable to have a vehicle so tall that children cannot be seen?”
The most common models, including the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200, and Nissan Navara, account for over half a million registered vehicles between them.
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