SUVs and large cars are now causing a "significant hazard" in cities, a Dublin councillor says.
Janet Horner, Green Party Councillor for the North Inner City, wants a push to 'disincentivise' people from owning such cars.
Global sales of SUVs hit new records in 2021, with 35 million new registrations last year.
However, there is concern about how bigger cars are taking up more space in urban centres.
Councillor Horner told Newstalk Breakfast she understands the reasons why people would buy a large car.
She observed: "They can keep you safer and your children safer, and they give you a higher position on the road.
“But we have to acknowledge that they are causing a significant hazard for us at a collective level.”
She argued that parked wide cars can block ambulances or fire brigades, as urban parking spaces are simply not big enough to accommodate large cars.
However, she said the biggest issue is around safety, noting: "SUVs, being that bit bigger and heavier… you’re twice as likely to be killed if you’re hit by one.”
As a result, the Green Councillor believes we need to look at ways to convince more people to get smaller vehicles.
She said SUVs can make sense on an individual level - such as for large families - but “the consequence of that… is that the roads are becoming that bit more dangerous”.
She observed: “I think there’s still going to be a need and market for SUVs. But what we’re seeing at the moment is exponential growth that far outweighs the necessity of large families.
“They are status symbols and a vehicle of choice for people who are not necessarily transporting large families around.
"What we need to do is disincentivise them and make them a vehicle of necessity rather than of luxury.”
