Just today I noticed a Cadillac SUV in a Dutch parking space (multilevel parking garage). The car didn't fit (not even close) and protruded well into the driveway.
'USA-size cars' have absolutely no reason to exist in Europe. Our infrastructure isn't built for them and that's a good thing.
American infrastructure also isn't built to accommodate "USA-sized" cars. A recent car will not fit into a space in an American parking lot, and it makes it a nightmare to pass through toll booths, parking garage ticketing gates, or any other scenario where you're supposed to roll down your window and reach out to something outside the car. Going around corners is problematic too. I now park by looking for a stretch of several empty spaces in a row. I can (just barely) technically fit inside one marked space at my local grocery store, but I can't maneuver into a space if there are cars in the adjacent spaces.
American cars have very recently become much, much, much, much fatter, and they use that extra interior space to... place a bunch of empty space between the seating and the side of the car. As best I can tell, this is a response to crash safety requirements. It is definitely a bad thing.
The US soils the European market with absurd SUVs.
Seems fair to me.
(joking, but also very much not joking)
Any SUV therefore is less safe, and everyone knows about it. It's just an armor race, just like with guns. The bigger armor wins.
I have no idea how the US population is fine with this, it's like it's a society that does like killing their own population in whatever niche area they can come up with. Corporatism at all cost, I guess?
Also, to expand my argument, it's pretty much the same in any area where an actual democracy would prioritize safety of the population first. Be it water quality, food quality, livestock safety, labor law, insurance law, healthcare, pesticides, SUVs vs cars, guns... heck even schools are unsafe environments. Nobody in their right mind would sacrifice their quality of life for that kind of environment to raise children.
Safety? Yes, agree.
What stands out is say civvies driving on military number plates (UK until the 80s). In this case, anyone driving a banned vehicle - these beasts have sharp edges and are banned.
No one has a problem with a Ford Musty GT - its just a car and not sharp.
For example, in the '80s the UK military stopped using military number plates on "family" vehicles outside the UK. Yes, we used to rock around in Germany in a family car with UK military plates - that's pretty daft. We switched to UK standard plates. So you had left hand drive cars with UK plates. lol
Anyway, its now modern times and we now have cars that would challenge a 432 for mass.
A Cybertruck is sharp edged, cruel and hard and will kill whatever it hits - "It will cut". That is not welcome outside the US. If you want to drive an armoured car then buy a proper one. I suggest something like a Saracen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_Saracen or "Warthog".
A CT is missing two letters.
hartator•46m ago
Milpotel•33m ago