Love them or hate them, giant US-style utes are impossible to ignore on Aussie roads — and for many, that’s becoming a major problem.
The growing popularity of mega utes in Australia, including RAM and Chevrolet models, has sparked concern among critics as they clog up suburban streets and shopping centre car parks.
Critics argue they’re simply too big for local infrastructure, particularly in older suburbs and dense inner-city areas, while some say that pick-up-style vehicles still have a legitimate place on Australian roads.
Dr Liam Davies, a lecturer in Urban and Environmental Policy at RMIT, believes enough is enough and is calling for an outright ban.
He said many of the larger models, which he calls “vanity trucks”, are “unacceptable” and said they “aren’t fit for purpose”.
“They have increased fuel consumption, they cause more wear and tear on the roads, and they’re much more deadly to other road users,” he told Yahoo News.
“There’s no good reason to use them. They should simply be regulated out of existence.”
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Many of the larger models don’t fit within Australian-standard car spaces.
(Reddit)
Photos snapped by other road users often show large vehicles unable to fit within standard parking lanes on city streets.
Many of them don’t fit in the regular 2.4-metre-wide car spaces in shopping centres either.
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Monash University transport commentator Julian O’Shea agrees the scale of vehicles — which he calls “truckzillas” — now entering the market is creating practical challenges in cities designed long before large pickups became common.
Dr Davis agrees and said some of the largest imported trucks now on Australian roads weigh more than four tonnes — comparable to some commercial vehicles.
“Some of them have more weight than a box truck. They’re over-dimensions,” he said.
Neither O’Shea nor Dr Davies thinks infrastructure changes are necessary, for example, wider roads and car parks, to accommodate the oversized trucks.
Instead, there should be “set size dimensions”, Dr Davis said.
“So rather than making our car parks bigger, we should set a maximum dimension for passenger vehicles and say if it’s outside of these dimensions, it’s no longer a passenger vehicle,” he explained
“Some are skirting outside the regulations for passenger vehicles and moving into truck regulations.”
A Ford Ute was previously seen occupying multiple parking spaces in southeast Melbourne.
(Facebook)
In the past, many owners have defended the vehicles, pointing to their towing capacity, suitable for large caravans and boats. Others, including tradies, like to use them for work.
In Dr Davis’s opinion, though, “no one needs one. People want them”, he said.
“Your right to want something shouldn’t impinge on someone else’s right to live,” he added.
They’re also extremely expensive to buy and run due to their massive size and weight.
A RAM 1500 costs at least $105,000 and a Chevrolet Silverado starts at $128,000.
As for running costs, they often have a high fuel consumption and require more expensive heavy-duty replacement parts, such as specialised tyres.
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