Drivers have been warned of a significant “blind spot” in the dangers posed by SUVs and the impact on pedestrians and cyclists.
New research from Swansea University found that 66 per cent of people with a UK driving licence failed to understand that SUVs can be more dangerous to vulnerable road users than smaller cars.
Among current SUV owners, the figure rose to 86 per cent, with researchers also finding that simply informing people about the risks was unlikely to change their minds about buying a larger vehicle.
Only 3.6 per cent of people planning to buy or lease an SUV said they would reconsider after being told about the potential dangers.
The findings have prompted academics to call for tougher restrictions on larger vehicles, including higher taxes, design limits, and restrictions on advertising.
Lead author Jimin Choi, a PhD student at Swansea University, said the study revealed a “significant blind spot” in the way road safety is discussed.
He shared: “British drivers, and SUV drivers in particular, showed a lack of awareness about the well-documented hazards SUVs pose to pedestrians and cyclists.
“Policymakers need to reckon with the fact that concerns about other people’s safety might play only a negligible role in people’s car purchase decisions.”
SUVs have been found to cause more catastrophic injuries than standard cars
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GETTY/CLEAN CITIES CAMPAIGNThe study was carried out by Swansea University’s School of Psychology alongside campaign group Adfree Cities.
Participants were shown mock SUV adverts, with some also shown prototype safety warnings outlining the dangers larger and heavier vehicles can pose to pedestrians and cyclists.
Larger vehicles have become increasingly popular in the UK, with researchers stating that two out of every three new cars sold in the UK are now SUVs and family cars.
Previous research suggests pedestrians and cyclists have a 44 per cent greater chance of being killed if struck by an SUV compared with a small car, with this total rising to 82 per cent for children.
SUVs have become wildly popular among British drivers, particularly families | TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
The growing number of larger vehicles has led campaigners to call for Government action, including weight-based parking charges, higher taxes and restrictions on SUV advertising.
Professor Ian Walker, an environmental psychologist at Swansea University, said information campaigns alone were unlikely to solve the problem.
He said: “Buying whatever vehicle we like, and driving it wherever and whenever we please without having to think about the consequences for other people, has become normalised and ingrained across our society over decades.
“As such, it’s not surprising there’s a growing body of evidence that says asking or encouraging people to drive differently doesn’t work, and that stronger interventions will be needed if Governments want to get serious about the issue.”
SUVs are more likely to cause fatalities to children due to their larger size | PA
Professor Walker explained that a more honest debate was needed about the impact of driving on other people. France introduced a weight-based registration tax for heavier vehicles in 2022.
The top rate was €30 (£25) per kilogram, which researchers said can amount to more than €20,000 (£16,990) for a typical mid-range SUV.
In October 2025, Cardiff became the first UK city to approve plans for higher parking charges for heavier cars.
James Ward, Co-Director at Adfree Cities, said SUV advertising had helped create a misleading image of larger vehicles, adding: “SUV marketing and advertising feed a public delusion that these are safe, family cars.”