SUVs too heavy for residential roads?
Just stumbled on an interesting article that talks about a weight limit that exists in some cities across the country that would actually mean some of the more outrageously oversized SUVs should only be driven on designated truck routes.
There were several things here I didn’t already know. For instance, I didn’t realize you could get a very nice federal tax break for owning an SUV that weighs over 6,000lbs if you state that you use it for work. Also, because SUVs are actually classified as trucks by the departments of transportation, they’re exempt from the gas guzzler tax that cars are subject to.
I never stopped to think exactly how heavy SUVs really are, and that they would actually chew up roads faster than smaller, lighter cars. But to be in the same class as commercial trucks? Makes a lot of sense, really. It’s quite counter-intuitive that a vehicle owner can pay less taxes when their vehicle will cause more road damage, which should make them liable for more of the repair cost.
Of course, America is the country of big trucks and big guns. Why would common sense ever come into it? All I know is I hope I never get into an accident with a Hummer.
September 29th, 2004 at 11:58 am
SUV’s are not safe for either their drivers or those with whom they share the roads. I hope there’s a level of Hell just for those who purchase SUV’s, I really do.