The number of SUVs on UK roads has reached unprecedented levels, with more than half of all new cars available this year as larger models.
Analysis found that 52 per cent of new vehicles now fall into the SUV category, raising serious concerns about road safety for pedestrians.
This surge in larger vehicles comes as researchers warn that SUVs are significantly more likely to cause fatal injuries to pedestrians and cyclists compared to conventional cars.
Research revealed that the number of SUV models available has surged by 543 per cent since 2000, with 193 different SUV options now on the market compared to just 30 two decades ago.
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The campaign called on Labour to introduce more restrictions and taxes for larger vehiclesCRISPIN HUGHES / CLEAN CITIESThe analysis found that all 35 of the UK's most popular car brands now offer at least one SUV in their range, with 57 per cent offering five or more variants. The top three manufacturers alone included Audi, BMW and Mercedes, which all accounted for 46 different SUV models between them.
The alarming rise in SUVs coincides with research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine revealing that cyclists and pedestrians hit by these "supersized" vehicles are 44 per cent more likely to be killed than if struck by a conventional car.
The study analysed more than 680,000 collisions worldwide over the past 35 years, comparing injuries sustained in SUV impacts versus those involving standard cars.
Researchers estimated that SUVs account for approximately 20 per cent of car crashes in Europe and 45 per cent in the US.
The risk is even greater for children, who are 82 per cent more likely to suffer fatal injuries in an SUV collision than in one involving a smaller car. For children under 10, the danger is even more stark, with the risk of death 130 per cent higher.
These findings are particularly concerning as SUVs have been growing in popularity across the UK and are especially popular in London, where pedestrian and cyclist traffic is high.
The increased danger posed by SUVs stems from their design characteristics, with the vehicles typically featuring taller and blunter front ends compared to conventional cars.
Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and senior author of the study, warned: "Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars. Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net zero goals.
SUVs are more likely to cause an fatality
PA"Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts."
The Clean Cities campaign group has been calling for higher vehicle taxes and parking charges for "supersized SUV" owners to reflect the additional dangers they pose.
Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities, said: "It's alarming to see fresh evidence confirming SUVs are linked to more fatal crashes. No one buying a car would want to put children at greater risk."
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone previously proposed a £25-a-day congestion charge for "Chelsea tractors" - more than three times the standard rate at the time - but was unable to implement the policy.
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Experts have called for SUV owners to face higher taxes GETTYThe researchers estimated that if all SUVs were replaced with passenger cars, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities would decrease by eight per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US.
For child pedestrians and cyclists, the potential reduction is even more significant, with a drop of 14 per cent in Europe and 27 per cent in the US.
Elsa Robinson, who worked on the study, shared: "Our findings highlight that these larger vehicles are particularly dangerous for children, especially young children. This could be because children are shorter in height, and are therefore more vulnerable to the risks of being hit by vehicles with a tall front end."
