Re:Pollution from tire wear is worse than exhaust emissions?
by globular-toast on Sunday March 08, 2020 @02:11PM
(#22519534)
I drive on one of the routes used by lorries servicing the UK's largest container port. The roads are visibly buckled in the lanes the lorries use. You can feel your car uncomfortably slotting into the grooves. It seems insane to me to use the roads for that. A railway seems like a complete no brainer, especially considering these are containers and easily loaded.
But at least the weight of a lorry consists of mostly the goods being transported. The more pertinent comparison is a bicycle vs single-occupant "SUV". Unlike lorries, those things are tearing up smaller roads in town centres making the roads barely usable by smaller cars, let alone bicycles, despite the fact that cyclists contribute equally to road maintenance.
Those SUVs also require larger brakes which is a major non-exhaust emission. It's high time to start taxing these vehicles heavily and I think using the fourth power of axle load seems like a sensible way to do it.
But at least the weight of a lorry consists of mostly the goods being transported. The more pertinent comparison is a bicycle vs single-occupant "SUV". Unlike lorries, those things are tearing up smaller roads in town centres making the roads barely usable by smaller cars, let alone bicycles, despite the fact that cyclists contribute equally to road maintenance.
Those SUVs also require larger brakes which is a major non-exhaust emission. It's high time to start taxing these vehicles heavily and I think using the fourth power of axle load seems like a sensible way to do it.