The motor vehicles sold in the U.S. have been getting bigger and heavier, with large pickup trucks leading the way. Large pickups also lead the way in killing others on the road — seven of the 10 (and 10 of the 13) 2023 model-year vehicles with the highest other-driver death rates were large or very large pickups, according to statistics released recently by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

These statistics don’t address risks to nondrivers, but they are likely similar to those to passengers in other cars, and there’s lots of evidence that large pickups and sport-utility vehicles, because of their weight but also their high front ends and driver blind spots, are uniquely hazardous to pedestrians and bicyclists. The persistently high traffic fatality rates in the U.S. relative to other affluent countries can be attributed at least in part to the anomalous size and shape of the vehicles many Americans drive. Beyond the safety risks, giant passenger vehicles also just take up an inordinate amount of space on streets and parking lots that could be put to better use.

At the same time, these larger, heavier vehicles are generally safer for their occupants than lighter ones — that’s part of their appeal. This makes vehicle weight a classic “externality,” with heavier cars and trucks imposing greater costs on society even as they confer benefits on their owners.