An American in Britain

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With roads so narrow and parking spaces so small, I am bewildered by the growing number of SUVs and other large cars and trucks on the road in the UK.  It seems the Brits are bound to repeat the mistakes made by many Americans, who have now turned to smaller, more economical cars.  With all the emphasis on being greener, Brits will soon find that the big gas guzzlers will impose not only heavier penalties in terms of petrol, but also in taxes and insurance.

It’s true these larger cars are much more gas efficient than their US counterparts, but they still consume much more fuel than smaller cars.  Yes, gas prices are coming down but the oil industry is such that it is constantly in flux.  You still end up paying too much to run these cars. 

Americans have always been criticized for their apparent unconcern for the environment when they insist on buying and driving these vehicles.  Now, it seems, they have turned their backs on them and switched to smaller imports with better fuel efficiency.  Hence, the financial problems with the major US car and truck companies.  Yet, these companies still see some trade in the UK, as evident from the numbers of vans and trucks on the road.  I’m not saying smaller cars are not evident in the UK – they are.  In fact, there are by far more smaller cars, but I’m still amazed at the number of large cars.

The UK road system existed long before all these cars came into existence, and the roads had not been built with these big cars in mind.  Now it is too late to change things.  With the limited space for parking, you’ll find that people are allowed to park on certain parts of the street as well.  This further narrows the space for maneuvering any vehicle. 

In parking lots, spaces are designed with the average car in mind.  These spaces tend to be short as well as narrow.  Our small sedan barely fits within these confines.  Some places impose penalties if you extend outside the lines in any direction.  Yet, we have seen cars and trucks crammed into these spots, sometimes blocking their neighbors doors.  The tail end that extends beyond the parking space again narrows the driving lane.

With all these considerations, then, I wonder why anyone in the UK would want an SUV, truck or large car outside of work restrictions?  Yes, they are convenient for transporting large items, etc., but how many people really require that?  Delivery is always available here so that no one needs to own a large vehicle.  Is it that these cars give people a sense of superiority, sitting on top of the world?  It is aggravating how they sometimes block other people’s view of traffic.  I have never seen much point in owning one of these vehicles and here in England, it seems even more pointless.