Have our fellow Americans always been such annoying nags about the choices and decisions we make in our lives? I don't remember seeing this much finger-wagging when I was younger; perhaps people have always been this annoying and social media simply amplifies it.
And I know people like David Zipper love to hear the sound of their own voice.
Read the words of their own tweets? X's?
Seems Zipper (yes, that's his name, I'm not making this up) is concerned about car bloat. Silly me, here I thought only people could get bloated. Ahem.
Check out his thread about car bloat and his ideas about how we can solve the problem. IT'S A HOOT.
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I’ve spent much of this year learning about car bloat, the process through which smaller vehicles are being replaced by increasingly massive SUVs and trucks.
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
What I’ve learned: Huge cars are terrible for society, often in ways that are hidden.
A summary 🧵 pic.twitter.com/2EOSnc5TdH
Because smaller cars suck.
Just being honest.
First, some basic info:
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
🔹 >80% of US car sales are now trucks/SUVs. Europe is behind, but catching up.
🔹 Models keep expanding. Ex: The 2023 F-150 is ~800 lbs heavier and 7 in taller than in 1991.
🔹 EVs can make the problem worse due to huge batteries.https://t.co/XJRy9TBk7o
EVs also suck.
Keep going.
Problem 1: Car bloat endangers others on the street
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Tall vehicles have bigger blind spots and are more likely to strike a person’s torso or head.
Heavier vehicles exert more force crashing into a person, bicycle, or smaller car. They also have longer braking distances. pic.twitter.com/O7XlevZxrD
FFS.
Problem 2: Car bloat worsens climate change
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Heavier cars require more energy to move, which makes them guzzle gas.
When electrified, their huge batteries are so inefficient that the biggest models generate more pollution that some gas-powered sedans.https://t.co/qePOGjkfuI
You guys knew this was coming, right?
Problem 3: Car bloat shreds tires
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Heavier cars exert more pressure on tires, eroding them faster.
Tire particles are absorbed into water, where they damage ecosystems. They also float through the air, harming human health when ingested.https://t.co/NN3EguO020
Shreds tires.
WE'RE ALL SLOWLY BEING KILLED BY GIANT CARS BECAUSE OF TIRE PARTICLES ... or something.
Problem 4: Car bloat destroys roadways
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Cars have become so heavy that US autohaulers can’t carry a full load w/o exceeding federal weight limits.
Car companies and truckers are asking Congress to raise those limits – but doing so would pulverize asphalt.https://t.co/b1qFaTElbS
Pulverize.
Problem 5: Car bloat makes cars expensive
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Big, heavy cars can be sold for more $. That’s why Stellantis CEO Sergio Marchionne made a famous pivot away from sedans in 2016, a move other carmakers followed.
It’s a key reason cars have become so pricey.https://t.co/GKGJDwoavv
EVs are by far some of the most expensive cars on the road, tall/bloated or not.
Even some automakers are recognizing the dangers of car bloat and calling for change.
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Here is Stellantis' CTO in a recent interview.https://t.co/4kA8qqYciQ pic.twitter.com/DvCOODDByX
Pass.
Some might say: “But people want big cars!”
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
Not necessarily. US automakers offer no alternative, and car bloat pushes buyers to upsize – if only to avoid being at a disadvantage on the road b/c *others* have big cars.https://t.co/WTGmq1DzhC
Summary: Car bloat is terrible – for road safety, for the planet, for equity, and for road maintenance.
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
But bigger cars are often more profitable, so automakers like making them.
The only way out: Government actionhttps://t.co/VBrpR3702H
What should we do?
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) August 5, 2023
🔹 Tax vehicles by weight.
🔹 Test vehicles for pedestrian and cyclist safety (still doesn’t happen in the US)
🔹 Require a CDL for the most gigantic vehicles
Left alone, this problem will only worsen. Governments must step up.https://t.co/KQZE3cmpko
Yeah ... no.
Hell no.
Nein.
Not happening.
Nope.
Feel free to move to a country where people don't mind being shamed and lectured about the cars they drive. In America ... we'll take the bloat.
