Sources: ETSC, Transport for London

On 13 March, Transport for London (TfL) launched the Vision Zero Action Plan 2, the latest phase in the capital city’s commitment to eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2041. The Safe Vehicles section of the plan focuses in part on the threat to other road users posed by larger, heavier and wider cars.

The UK capital city is not the only major city to recognise the risk larger cars such as SUVs pose to pedestrians. Paris notably held a referendum in 2024 which led to increased parking fees for heavy vehicles owned by non-residents, and Cardiff introduced higher charges for residential parking permits for larger vehicles in 2025.

The TfL action plan states that “the cars on our streets are getting larger, heavier and wider. Oversized models, such as large SUVs, make it harder for drivers to see people walking and cycling nearby. These design features significantly increase the severity of collisions – including the risk of death – particularly for children, who are more easily hidden from a driver’s view. Those under nine are at the greatest risk.”

The plan points to the success of targeted interventions such as the Direct Vision Standard for HGVs and the Bus Safety Standard, and states that “we will act locally to reduce risk from the vehicles that cause the greatest harm, and to harness the benefits of new technologies.”