Over the last few decades, cars and trucks sold in the U.S. have gotten increasingly bigger. Subaru's new model is the latest example.
In a recent post, TikToker molesrcool (@molesrcool) talked about the new model of the Subaru Outback. The Outback has traditionally been an affordable station wagon, but the latest model is more like an SUV.
@molesrcool the era of the wagon, and small car, is officially over #subaruoutback #stationwagon #trucks #pavementprincess ♬ Yacht Club - MusicBox
As molesrcool explained in the video, this new offering from Subaru follows the general trend in the automobile industry of cars getting bigger and more SUV-like. They argued that this is because people want to buy big cars so they feel safer on the road next to other big cars. "The most popular car in the United States right now is bigger than a World War II tank," the TikToker said.
The increase in the size of cars over the last few decades has some worrying repercussions for both safety and the environment. While people buy bigger cars to feel safer alongside the big trucks that dominate our roads, bigger cars are not safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Larger cars, such as SUVs, have higher front ends that can block the driver's view of pedestrians.
This is particularly worrying for children because of their height. One study found that children are eight times more likely to die when struck by an SUV compared to a smaller car.
SUVs and other large cars are also bad for the environment. According to the International Energy Agency, SUVs consume around 20% more fuel than medium-sized cars, causing them to emit considerably more heat-trapping pollution that contributes to the warming of our planet. These cars also wear down their tires much faster, resulting in more microplastics in the environment. One study showed that car tires are the major source of microplastics in our oceans, which could have detrimental effects on the animals that live there.
Some people are worried about the rise of big cars, as shown in this post's comments section.
"Screaming crying throwing up I hate it," one person wrote.
Another stated, "The lifted front makes me want to scream. That's wayyyy less safe for pedestrians."
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