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For the majority of the population, there is little or no reason to own an SUV. They waste gas, they are too large, and they are dangerous.

Some people do genuinely need the benefits of an SUV. A park ranger would need four wheel drive to navigate his territory. Someone living in an area without paved roads would probably need an SUV as well.

Those living in the city or suburbia do not.

GAS GUZZLERS

One obvious reason to not own an SUV is that they guzzle gas. Sure, they may be getting more fuel efficient - but so are regular cars! An SUV today will probably have better mileage than one from ten years ago. Yet a Prius Hyrbid will get far better mileage.

Global warming and urban air pollution are very real problems. Owning an SUV without reason is recklessly endangering the population of our cities and our world.

TOO LARGE

Another problem with the over-use of SUVs is that they are too large. If a driver is in a regular car, he or she can't see past or around a large SUV. This obscures that driver's vision of the road - slowing reaction time to accidents and obstructions.

It also contributes to the SUV craze. Everyone wants to be above traffic so that they can see... but if no one was driving an SUV we could all see just fine.

SIMPLY DANGEROUS

The greatest argument against SUVs, though, is that they are dangerous. Most SUVs are built on solid tank-like frames. They are impressively sturdy in crash tests and consumers like this. However, they are also impressively destructive when they crash into a regular car. The tank-like frame drives right through the small, crumpling coupe and destroys the people inside.

They can also be dangerous because they give people a false sense of security. Many drivers think that because they have four wheel drive they can go faster in the snow. It's wonderful that you can control your car, but you still can't stop! Four wheel drive does nothing to effect the response of brakes in inclement weather.

There is no reason to own an SUV if you live in a developed part of the country. Yet, there are several reasons why we should not be buying SUVs. They contribute to global warming, they obscure vision on our highways, and they are just plain dangerous. So why are they still so popular?

Learn more about this author, B. Rock.
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