The article says it all. Which is exactly why responsible drivers want bigger, better and safer. And now that China has realised this too, there’s no stopping this trend and city planners are having to cater for the needs and demands of the majority. Elected officials who don’t oblige are being, quite rightly, thrown out of office. “ Demanding legislationAlthough one of the main reasons for the increase in the size and weight of cars in recent years is the 'bigger is better' principle, there are other forces driving this change. One of these is safety regulations. With cities becoming increasingly crowded, authorities need safer traffic. Large numbers of pedestrians and vehicles require smarter vehicles that prevent accidents.Car safety is a consequence of modernity. There are more and more solutions that make driving easier and safer. This comes at a cost as more functions and devices require more space. The thickness or the body of cars increases.Consequently, there is also a direct impact on weight. According to JATO data from the last 23 years, the average weight of the most popular cars in each segment in Europe has increased in seven of the eight segments analysed. The increases range from 9% in the large SUV segment up to 23% in the case of city cars.Increased comfortToday's families are smaller, but passengers want more space on board. This is reflected in the length of the cars. With each new generation, each model becomes as large as the previous generation in the next segment. In other words, the size of the current range of B hatchbacks in Europe is almost equal to the length of the C hatchbacks available 23 years ago. The same is true for segments A and B and for segments D, E and F.”
Steve Taylor ● 4d