I VISITED A Galway car showroom recently to pick up a friend who had dropped off their car for servicing.

The dealership represents two well-known international brands and, as I wandered through the showroom, something struck me. Almost every vehicle on display, at every price point, was an SUV.

It made me wonder why buying an ordinary family car has become so difficult.

Not so long ago, anyone walking into a dealership could choose from a range of hatchbacks, saloons and estates, alongside a handful of larger four-wheel drives.

Today, the balance has shifted dramatically. If you are looking for an SUV, you are spoiled for choice. If you are looking for what most of us would once have simply called a car, your options are becoming increasingly limited.

This is not simply my impression. More than half of all new cars sold in Ireland are now SUVs, a higher proportion than the European average. Manufacturers have responded to consumer demand, but they have also helped shape it. SUVs are more profitable to produce and market, and increasingly they dominate our advertising, our dealerships and our roads.

Paddy Comyn captured this changing landscape perfectly in his thoughtful article in The Journal recently. His was not an argument against SUVs. Rather, it was a reminder that the small car still has much to recommend it. Reading his piece reminded me of something else I had been reading in recent days, research that suggests the rise of the SUV is no longer simply a question of consumer preference. It is becoming a question of public safety.

The number of fatalities and injuries being sustained on Irish roads is beyond acceptable. Last year, 190 people died on Irish roads, and so far this year, 84 people have been killed. And that........

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