@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.