Human evolution and SUVs? I%26#039;ve been asking a few questions lately relating to governments and their need to introduce carbon taxes, because few corporations and people will not take the initiative to reduce their carbon output voluntarily.
Interestingly I received several answers that relate to peoples %26quot;need%26quot; for the family SUV. What I would like to know is, when did humans evolve the “need%26quot; for a gas guzzling SUV to raise children. I did some research and found out that people for a few several thousand years have been bring up children successfully without the use of an SUV, but it now seems there are certain populations of humans who are now incapable of raising children with those vehicles.
So did the need for the SUV stem from an evolutionary adaptation linked prehistoric mans use of mini-vans and station wagons? When did this change take place?

or

Could it be that the SUV just makes good fashion sense?

Best Answer

%26quot;for a few several thousand years have been bring up children successfully without the use of an SUV%26quot;

you probably need to separate the need for transportation in general from the need to use an SUV for transportation.
engineer%26#039;s answer %26quot;child seats%26quot; is appropriate.
however, your %26quot;fashion sense%26quot; argument is, by far, the more accurate reason.

since my dad worked in insurance, i can tell you that child seats, and other safety features required today really are effective. they prevent both deaths and injuries. i don%26#039;t recommend that we regress.
it might be appropriate however, to require manufacturers that sell child seats, to also design and sell such for 2 and 3 children, that can be used in a normal sized car.
while i don%26#039;t like telling businesses what they must do, in this case, it would seem appropriate. i mean, we already tell car manufacturers to install seat belts.

OH, and the change took place when we moved jobs from the house, or workshop next door, to factories and office buildings several miles away. a thousand years ago, that was never the case.

Asker's Rating:

A mini van will do quite nicely in Dallas, there you don%26#039;t need that 4x4 SUV. Unless of course the need is to impress.

Other Answers (11)

• The SUV is not the necessity. The necessity is moveable space. They associate this with an SUV for obvious reasons.
  If they were shown numbers as well as vehicles that, in fact, have more usable interior space than an SUV that are electric and hybrid( many exist), they would be more likely to disassociate themselves from the SUV as well as make a green decision and buy a hybrid electric vehicle.
• This puzzles me too. Even if a family has 3 kids, they can still fit them all inside a sedan. A Prius has plenty of room for 3 to sit in the back and lots of cargo space.
  
  I think a lot of it has to do with the perceived safety of SUVs. Of course, they also have the issue with flipping over and catching on fire. Plus if most people drove small cars, as used to be the case, there wouldn%26#039;t be the need to fear being crushed by an SUV if you%26#039;re driving a smaller car.
  
  The problem is probably that SUVs got trendy back when gas prices were still low, then some people bought them as a status symbol, then others bought them because they felt unsafe being surrounded by larger cars. Snowball effect.
• Okay how come school buses,semi trucks,delivery services(ups),(fed ex), aren%26#039;t in this mind boggling equation....There%26#039;s a simple reason people drive suv%26#039;s.They like them because they are practical(serve more then one purpose).One suv equals=two cars plus you can actually tow things with it and they are safer.It%26#039;s all based on feasibility and has nothing to do about evolution.%26quot;God I think I just had a revelation%26quot;
• The auto manufacturers are making hybrid SUVs now. When they are affordable and everyone finds out that they don%26#039;t have to pay for all that gasoline, I%26#039;m sure they will become very popular. Have some patience.
• Some humans feel the need for SUVs just as they feel the need to eat foods filled with artificial flavors, colors, chemicals etc., and for the same reasons they still shop at Wal-Mart, still use plastic bags, eat way more meat than any other country in the world, continue to throw away everything when most of it is recyclable, etc.
  
  I could go on and on. A lot of humans do a lot of stupid ****. And never even think about it for one second. That%26#039;s just my opinion. We are a wasteful and overly extravagant society. Observations.
• Well as what I%26#039;ve seen, SUVs are getting even more popular in America. I mean, my family started out with cars and now we are up to a mini van, suv, and truck.
  
  I really think SUVs are so popular because they look great, add more room, have special things that cars don%26#039;t have, and are way safer.
  
  I mean, look at all the bad drivers out there and they drive SUVs. If you were rear ended by an SUV, would you rather be in a car or an SUV yourself? I know I would choose SUV.
  
  From my point of view, I think SUVs and big cars are safe in today%26#039;s society. I haven%26#039;t really been in a car in like years and the last time I was in one was like a few months ago and it was a Saturn Ion and I was FREAKED OUT. I couldn%26#039;t be low because I was freaked out of getting into an accident.
• LOL! That%26#039;s great! I really liked this question especially the bit about the research.
  People that drive any type of BIG car either an SUV or Mercedes etc project an image of being selfish, narrow minded, and thoughtless, and unfortunately for them not the image that they think they are projecting ie being wealthy and fashion aware. Ironically I think that most people who are driving large expensive cars have had to be selfish, narrow minded, and thoughtless to get the money to afford to be able to buy and maintain the car and are in fact projecting exactly what they are and not how they want to appear.