Over the last decade, big bulky sports utility vehicles (SUVs) have become the most popular cars on Irish roads.

Whatever about the need for a car that has improved off-road ability on country back roads - is this great lumbering vehicle really necessary on city streets?

Now, the government is considering a tax on SUVs among a number of options ahead of Budget 2026. A weighty penalty, similar to one already in place in France, was flagged in the tax strategy papers published in July.

This tax has the potential to cause the Irish consumer to ditch their weighty love affair with SUVs, and not before time.

A shift in the market away from SUVs would reduce road deaths among pedestrians and cyclists, provide cleaner air, roomier streets, less ‘car brain’, and improved wellbeing for city citizens – especially children.

Road deaths

There have been more than 100 deaths on our roads this year to date, well over half of them being vulnerable road users - pedestrians and pedal cyclists. Data from the European Transport Safety Council showed that in 2024, Ireland ranked seventh in Europe for the number of road deaths per million population.

Two countries that have taken a proactive approach to road deaths that has proved highly effective are Sweden and Japan.

The Swedish approach has been adopted by the EU, the UN, more than half the U.S states, and several European countries including Ireland. Vision Zero accepts that bad driving is part of being human and shifts away from accidents being the problem to one of kinetic energy, and the tolerance of the human body to impact as the real cause of deaths and injuries.

The approach focuses on low urban speed limits, pedestrian zones, separated cycle lanes, safer crossing,........

© Evening Echo