New Toyota RAV4 crossover SUVs for sale are seen at an auto mall in Ottawa, April 26, 2021. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says light vehicle sales in Canada in February were up 5.1 per cent from a year earlier. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Quebecers aren't using their sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to their full capacities, a recent study found, with just 38 per cent of owners utilizing their vehicle's entire cargo space at least once a week, and nearly three-quarters never using their SUV to pull a load.
The study, commissioned by the organization Équiterre and conducted by the Centre for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organizations (CIRANO), surveyed more than 1,000 vehicle-owning Quebecers on SUV use in 2022.
The data revealed that only 39 per cent of owners use all of their SUV's seats at least once a week, and about 85 per cent of SUVs are registered for personal rather than commercial use.
According to Andréanne Brazeau, climate policy analyst at Équiterre, the picture shows a "profound disconnect" between the supply of SUVs in Quebec and their actual use by their owners, while the auto industry invests heavily to create "false needs" and boost sales of this type of vehicle.
"65 per cent of trips are to work, school and the grocery store, often short trips that do not require the SUV features that car manufacturers sell us with a lot of advertising. However, in the ads, we mostly see large vehicles driving in natural environments," she said in an interview.
Équiterre says regulating advertising could slow down this trend. In 2021, SUVs represented 71 per cent of new vehicle sales in Quebec.
"We fall into a vicious circle: the more people have large vehicles around us, the more we see; so we consider it normal, and we no longer perceive it as excess," Brazeau explained.
Ads also focus on criteria like price, safety and gasoline costs --contradictory concerns, according to Brazeau, since SUVs cost, on average, $10,000 more and consume 20 per cent more gas than a car.
"Safety is also one of the things that comes up in the ads, but it's more about the safety of the people in the vehicle. We know that the bigger the SUV, the more dangerous it is for pedestrians and cyclists, but also for people in smaller cars," said Brazeau.
In fact, SUVs are involved in pedestrian collisions twice as often as cars, and impacts are 28 percent more deadly to other drivers than collisions caused by small vehicles, according to a 2019 U.S. study.
Équiterre believes implementing measures that reduce the social acceptability of gas-guzzlers could help reverse the trend.
"We know that electric vehicles are multiplying on our roads, but gasoline-powered SUVs are multiplying so much more that they cancel out all the gains in terms of GHG emission reductions that could have been made," said Brazeau.
In Canada, the transportation sector is responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, more than half of which come from SUVs, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. In fact, sales of these trucks in Canada have increased by 280 per cent between 1990 and 2018.
To curb this growth, the provincial government could introduce a tax on gas-guzzlers through a "fee-rebate" system, a measure that has proven successful internationally, Brazeau argues.
"The tax could be progressive: the more gas-guzzling or heavy an SUV is, the more it would cost. We really put a price on pollution by applying the polluter-pays principle, and we better internalize the environmental costs associated with vehicles," she said.
A tax system could also be implemented in urban areas, where SUVs are "clearly less relevant" than in rural areas. A parking sticker in the city, for example, could cost more depending on the size of the vehicle.
"Public policy is modular, and we are always in favour of the most equitable measures possible. Obviously, there can be exceptions: people who need it for work and large families are good examples."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 26, 2023.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
Wastewater testing, hospitalization and death data from COVID-19 tell us the virus's spread continue to trend downward in Canada. But we're not at the end, and public health experts say we must heed lessons learned from the pandemic and remain vigilant. Read the analysis on CTVNews.ca.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
Wildfire smoke prompted warnings about poor air quality for many regions across the country, stretching from northern Alberta to the Atlantic.
Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination
Lauryn Hill brought Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel on stage over the weekend to surprise attendees of the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and it may be the last time fans see them together.
Those in favour of creating a federal right to repair law say the government should avoid shaping such legislation according to the wishes of special interest lobbyists as Ottawa gets set to launch consultations on the issue.
More and more adults are taking over-the-counter melatonin to get to sleep, and some may be using it at dangerously high levels, a study has found.
World War II veterans shared vivid memories of D-Day and the fighting as dozens returned to Normandy beaches and key battle sites to mark the 79th anniversary of the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control.
The Correctional Service of Canada has released a statement about serial killer Paul Bernardo's transfer to a medium-security prison.
Paul Bernardo’s transfer to a medium-security facility has led to questions surrounding whether the move will mean new freedoms for the serial killer.
An American driver has been arrested by the RCMP after making a wrong turn and ending up in a line to cross the Canadian border while in procession of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cannabis.
Crews fighting an out-of-control wildfire in southwestern Nova Scotia are trying to determine what impact weekend rain had on their efforts.
Nova Scotia’s government and cybersecurity experts are working to get to the bottom of a breach whose impact still isn't fully understood.
A much needed rain fell over the weekend for much of the Maritimes, including those areas combating wildfires.
A 16-year-old resident of Tavistock, Ont. has died after a single vehicle crash in Perth East Township on Sunday.
CTV cameras captured the moment London, Ont. firefighters discovered a sparking lithium battery pack in a charred apartment at 122 Base Line Rd. W. Sunday.
Police are asking for the public’s help in locating two suspects who they allege nearly crashed into a pickup truck, assaulted the driver and stole his vehicle late last month in east London, Ont.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the fire in the Centennial Lake area was reported just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
A city official says a $1.2-billion deal to replace Calgary's aging Saddledome with a new National Hockey League arena would come with a 35-year lease that includes a commitment from the owners of the Calgary Flames to stay in the city.
Officials say no one was injured, but an investigation is ongoing after a peace officer's vehicle was struck "at a high rate of speed" during a traffic stop on Friday.
Two people were hospitalized after being injured during amusement ride incidents in Stony Plain Friday night.
A panel of three judges heard arguments from lawyers representing a retired teacher and the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) on Monday, a year and a half after the teacher’s presentation was halted during a trustee meeting.
Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a fatal fire in Waterloo.
It comes amid what police say is a growing number of thefts targeting the model.
A Canadian icon is busking on the streets of Vancouver to protest live horse exports from Canada to foreign countries.
A crash involving a car and motorcycle in Abbotsford Sunday night has turned fatal, according to police.
Ride-hailing giant Uber has finally announced its start date for two major B.C. cities.
A 14-year-old swimmer is believed to have been caught in a current and swept downstream in the North Saskatchewan River.
A person was killed during a robbery in Edmonton's Forest Heights neighbourhood Monday morning.
Two people were hospitalized after being injured during amusement ride incidents in Stony Plain Friday night.
WARNING Graphic content: Closing arguments were completed Monday in the months-long trial of three men from the Kitchener area accused in the murder of a Windsor woman.
Windsor police have arrested a third suspect in connection to a violent assault downtown last week after he turned himself into police.
Windsor police are looking for the public’s help to identify a male suspect wanted in connection to a theft from a vehicle in West Windsor.
The trial of a man charged in connection to the death of his brother was set to get underway in Regina on Monday but now faces a delay.
Drivers with 'excessively loud' vehicles will soon be subject to new rules from SGI, mandating that all light vehicles must be quieter than 101.3 decibels.
At the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in February, reeves passed a resolution asking the Water Security Agency to require those who are illegally draining to remediate their unapproved works.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the fire in the Centennial Lake area was reported just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Environment Canada is warning hazy conditions will become widespread smoke near noon Monday due to wildfires.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
Residents of the western portion of the province should be on the lookout for tornadoes, Environment Canada says.
An early morning fire in Saskatoon that destroyed a garage is believed to be suspicious.
Drivers with 'excessively loud' vehicles will soon be subject to new rules from SGI, mandating that all light vehicles must be quieter than 101.3 decibels.
