US-Style Pickup Truck Numbers Soar on UK Roads, Raising Alarm
Exclusive analysis of Department for Transport data has revealed a dramatic surge in the number of US-style pickup trucks on British roads, with registrations increasing by 92% over the past decade. The figures show close to 600,000 of these vehicles are now in circulation across the UK, compared with just over 300,000 in 2014.
Campaigners Warn of "Menacing Vehicles" and Safety Risks
Clean Cities, the campaign group behind the analysis, has raised serious concerns about the growing presence of these oversized vehicles in urban environments. Oliver Lord, the UK head of Clean Cities, described the trend as "lifestyle over practicality in exchange for parking mayhem and dangerous roads."
"City leaders must act to discourage these menacing vehicles from our streets," Lord stated. "How is it acceptable to have a vehicle so tall that children cannot be seen?"
Popular Models and Their Dangerous Dimensions
The Ford Ranger has emerged as the UK's most commonly owned pickup truck, weighing between 2,200kg and 2,400kg with a bonnet height exceeding one metre. Research from the United States indicates that the vehicle's substantial front blind zone can conceal several children from the driver's view.
Following closely is the Toyota Hilux, which weighs between 2,100kg and 2,300kg and features a bonnet height of 1.05 metres. Together with other popular models including the Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara, these ten most common pickup trucks account for more than half a million registered vehicles in Britain.
Increased Danger to Pedestrians and Cyclists
International crash data presents alarming statistics about the heightened risk these vehicles pose. A pedestrian or cyclist struck by a pickup truck is 90% more likely to sustain serious injuries compared to those hit by regular cars, and almost 200% more likely to be killed.
The danger stems from their elevated design, which causes impacts to strike higher on the body. This increases the likelihood of fatal head and chest injuries rather than survivable leg injuries typically associated with collisions involving smaller vehicles.
Children Particularly Vulnerable to Hidden Dangers
Perhaps most concerning is the risk to children, who often remain completely invisible to drivers of these extra-large vehicles. With bonnet heights frequently exceeding one metre, an average six-year-old child can stand directly in front of the vehicle without being detected from the driver's seat.
Jemima Hartshorn, founder of Mums for Lungs, expressed grave concerns about this combination of risks. "These pickup trucks are built like battering rams and pump out pollution like chimneys," she said. "For children, that's a deadly combination – invisible at the front of the vehicle and breathing in the fumes from the back."
Environmental Impact and Urban Suitability Concerns
Beyond safety issues, these vehicles present significant environmental challenges, emitting more pollution than standard cars. Their substantial size also makes them poorly suited to Britain's narrow urban streets, pavements, and school environments, where their dimensions often exceed available parking spaces.
Clean Cities is advocating for policy changes including increased parking charges for larger, more dangerous vehicles and the application of stricter safety standards specifically for pickup trucks. These standards would include mandatory tests to determine whether children can be seen from the driver's seat.
The campaign group's analysis highlights a growing tension between vehicle trends and urban safety, with hundreds of thousands of these pickup trucks now longer than Second World War tanks and increasingly common on British roads.
