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1. Embed this notice
   Helen Czerski (helenczerski@fediscience.org)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:31 JST Helen Czerski

   The solution to “autobesity” is NOT to change car parking spaces. It’s to fix the root of the problem and get rid of these over-sized, wasteful, dangerous and unnecessary vehicles.

   “More than 150 car models are now too big to fit in average car parking spaces, according to analysis conducted by Which?.”

   https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/26/more-than-150-car-models-too-big-for-regular-uk-parking-spaces?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

   #cars #cities #SUV

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:26 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • shiri
     • Darrel Plant

     @darrelplant @helenczerski @shiri Saw a (UK) news headline earlier today to the effect that more than 150 models of car/SUV on sale in the UK are now too big for standard British parking spaces in car parks/kerbside.

   • Embed this notice
     ZOP (zop@7td.org)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:26 JST ZOP

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross
     • shiri
     • Darrel Plant
     @cstross @darrelplant @helenczerski @shiri a part of why cars are getting physically larger (besides the SUV craze started here in the US) are crash safety standards. You can’t absorb energy without giving it some space to dissipate. We’ve crammed the engine compartment about as much as it’s possible to increase interior and cargo volume. And at least here in the US people are on average a lot larger too than decades ago.
     feld likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     shiri (shiri@foggyminds.com)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:28 JST shiri

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross
     @cstross @helenczerski I know in the US we have oversized vehicles because we ended up putting tighter regulations on smaller vehicles (some poorly implemented farm exception)
   • Embed this notice
     Darrel Plant (darrelplant@mstdn.social)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:28 JST Darrel Plant

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross
     • shiri

     @cstross @helenczerski @shiri

     I love the term “Chelsea tractors”.

     In our older residential section of Portland, lots of streets are only 20 feet (6 meters) wide — with parking on both sides — so we’re constantly confronted in our smart car by people in SUVs and crossovers barreling down the center of the street because they don’t want to slow down.

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:21:29 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     @helenczerski I would just like to note that you used to be able to get a 4-adult-seater 5-door car that could reach 100km/h for highway driving and weighed 600kg empty. These behemoths weigh four times as much as a 2CV, and can all exceed the maximum speed limit by a factor of 2x to 3x. We should tax them by volume and kerb weight. Heavily!

   • Embed this notice
     feld (feld@bikeshed.party)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 02:22:44 JST feld

     in reply to

     • Charlie Stross
     • shiri
     You're thinking of the chicken tax and it's not quite what your describe
     
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
   • Embed this notice
     Paul Cantrell (inthehands@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 27-Aug-2023 11:44:14 JST Paul Cantrell

     in reply to

     • Debbie Goldsmith 🏳️‍⚧️♾️🇺🇦⧖

     @helenczerski @dgoldsmith
     I believe this straightforward, effective solution could be adapted to the problem:
     https://xkcd.com/562/