[banjomike]

I don't think people are getting off on telling people what they can and can't drive. There should be one uniform set of rules applying to all passenger vehicles. Don't try to tell me that 95% of Suburbans, Hummers, Expiditions, etc aren't used as passenger vehicles. The safey laws are different, there are tax breaks, the fuel efficiency requirements are different, the bumpers are at a different level, the emissions requirements may be different (I'm not sure on that one), they contribute disproportionately to cost of road upkeep. All of these things amount to explicit and/or hidden subsidies. The market doesn't function if the playing field isn't level. So you end up with a sickness where the roads are populated with unclean, unsafe, and wasteful beasts.

I clearly don't like them but I'm not saying ban them. They should be required to adhere to the same laws as other passenger cars.

They are more likely to be involved in an accident. The people in the other car are much more likely to be killed. Rollovers are much more likely. Bumpers don't match up with other cars increasing damage from minor accidents. Lights are much higher than allowed on cars, blinding traffic. These are all bad design that has been fostered by stupid government interference (on an uneven playing field).

whew! no I'll get off my soap box.