If you’ve been paying attention to the kinds of cars people drive in recent times, you’ve probably seen the trend of “soccer moms”, who drive SUVs through the suburbs of America, transporting their families with these large vehicles. Since they’re only driving through suburban areas, there’s usually no use for them to purchase lift kits or king shocks, since they won’t actually be using these vehicles for the type of off-road activities they’re designed for. The soccer mom phenomenon brings up some interesting questions, is it right for these vehicles to be used in this way? Does it pose a risk to other people on the road? And what about the environmental costs?

The most common reason soccer-moms would give for using these large vehicles simply for transportation is that they give the greatest amount of safety to their loved ones. This is surely a great notion, but the problem is the actual safety benefits of SUV’s are quite small when they’re in a suburban environment. The problem with being so far up above the ground, although it makes you feel safer, is that you are unaware of what’s going on close to your vehicle. Is something tiny is very close by, like a child going to pick up a ball underneath the vehicle, you won’t be able to notice it. There have been many deaths occurring in this way. The problem with SUV’s is that they give the illusion of safety only, and while there are some benefits that make it a safer option to drive one of these cars, these benefits only apply to those within the vehicle, so while it might be safer for those inside, other drivers and pedestrians are put at risk when there are SUV’s on the road.

Also an issue with these cars is their gas mileage and the effect this has on the environment. Since the vehicle has to haul a greater amount of weight around, and thus a greater amount of energy needs to be expelled, the amount of fuel required becomes much more. If a smaller family car was bought, the effect to the environment would be significantly reduced.

There is an American trend to believe that things are our right, that they are owed to us. When a soccer mom is challenged with the dangers of SUVs, they’ll often get indignant and think they are being personally attacked, since the right to protect their family has been called into question. This is an attitude that is, of course, promoted by advertisers and car manufacturers. There is an incorrect impression that the only choice for those who truly care about their families is to buy a large vehicle. This is not reality, however, and is only a lie manufactured in order to help line the pockets of the car makers.

To begin making improvements to the well-being of ones family, common sense has to be undertaken at the level of each individual. Purchasing a large car might seem like a good idea at the time, but if logic and reason are used, it can be noted that the long term effects of these cars are ultimately damaging.