Drivers 'back higher taxes on SUVs' to fund pothole repairs, survey says
More than half of drivers would back higher taxes on large off-road vehicles to raise funds for pothole repairs, according to a survey.
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The Clean Cities pressure group commissioned a YouGov poll, which said that 54 per cent of motorists favoured increased taxes on sports utility vehicles to cover the cost of repairing potholes.
The survey found that just 19 per cent of respondents were opposed to imposing extra taxes on SUVs.
Oliver Lord, UK head of the campaign group said that a two-ton off-road vehicle caused 16 times more road damage than a one-ton car.
"The potholing of road surfaces is even worse when it rains because heavier vehicles create much stronger hydraulic pressure, forcing water into any flaws and breaking up the road surface," he said.
The group is calling for higher parking charges for larger vehicles that are more than 15ft 10in long and 6ft wide, reflecting the larger spaces they take up.
The YouGov poll also found that 61 per cent of UK passenger car owners agreed that “SUVs take up too much space”, while only 19 per cent disagreed.
Seven in 10 said that SUVs made parking more difficult, while only 15 per cent disagreed.
The report also claimed that large cars were more likely to be involved in fatal road crashes.
