• Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
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    18 hours ago

    We as an American people have been conditioned for decades that we need larger and bigger vehicles when we absolutely don’t. This is because smaller cars have stricter regulations thanks to the “light truck” loophole in the CAFE standards. It’s literally less regulated, and thus highly profitable to get people to buy trucks instead of cars. The masculine thing, the “It’s safer because it’s bigger”, the “I need space for my family” - it’s all generated by marketing teams for car companies to convince each of us that we need a bigger (and less regulated) car.

    When really… we don’t. We don’t at all, and it choosing a truck whether it’s intentional or not, is a selfish move. It’s large, it’s unnecessary, wasteful, it’s proven extremely deadly to pedestrians, bicyclists, and children. Choosing a vehicle like that is inherently accepting that you are risking other people’s lives, and that’s why I’m so against them.

    Ignorance is excusable, but once informed then it’s no longer ignorance.