It's not the car's shape that is contentious, it's their size. Nobody is complaining about pickups from 30 years ago. It's these modern monstrosities that have people annoyed and concerned. IMO it's because:
1. They are extremely inefficient (gas-wise). That means more pollution, more CO2 emissions, just overall a worse environment for everyone.
2. They are built with large front grills that limit visibility. Being high off the ground might feel nice, but it's dangerous for everyone else (pedestrians, cyclists, even other drivers).
3. They are super heavy, which results in much faster road degradation.
I think if we taxed heavy vehicles more fairly (IE, tax proportionate to the damage to roads, extra deaths from impractical and dangerous designs, and tailpipe emissions) then I think people would be less annoyed.
But as it stands, the modern pickup truck has extremely problematic externalities that everyone (including the pickup driver, though not directly) is paying for.
1. They are extremely inefficient (gas-wise). That means more pollution, more CO2 emissions, just overall a worse environment for everyone. 2. They are built with large front grills that limit visibility. Being high off the ground might feel nice, but it's dangerous for everyone else (pedestrians, cyclists, even other drivers). 3. They are super heavy, which results in much faster road degradation.
I think if we taxed heavy vehicles more fairly (IE, tax proportionate to the damage to roads, extra deaths from impractical and dangerous designs, and tailpipe emissions) then I think people would be less annoyed.
But as it stands, the modern pickup truck has extremely problematic externalities that everyone (including the pickup driver, though not directly) is paying for.