The incredible hulks
Driving a big 4x4 can give the driver a feeling of control, power and even superiority. And, of course, these feelings are emphasised in the advertising of these vehicles. But at last a backlash is beginning. The liberal democrat environment spokesman Norman Baker is launching a campaign to keep 4x4s out of the urban environment. He hopes to win cross-party support in the Commons to shame the motor industry to stop advertising and promoting these as urban runabouts.
A backlash has already started in the USA where, as you can expect, the 4x4s are bigger, brasher and heavier than anywhere else. But the anti-4x4 message is beginning to get heard. The accusation is that these vehicles take longer distances to stop, are susceptible to rolling over and are more likely to crush normal sized vehicles and their occupants - as well as pedestrians and cyclists - in a crash.
The Bristol Cycling Campaign supports the initiative by Norman Baker and has written to the four Bristol MPs asking them to put their weight behind the efforts to keep these vehicles off the city's roads.
We'll keep you posted on what the MPs say in response.
Stuart Andrews
