Increase in SUV Purchases Is Bad News for Society

It was disheartening to read that record numbers of mid-size car owners are making the move to SUVs [“Mid-Size Cars Feel the Sting of SUV Popularity,” April 25].

As a sedan driver in Los Angeles, I’ve grown tired of the crowded parking lots, the blinding headlights at night and the fear of annihilation in a collision. All this for a vehicle that appears rarely to be used for either ostensible purpose of sport or utility.

Meanwhile, the gas guzzlers are worsening air pollution, helping drive up gas prices and increasing our already dangerous dependence on international sources of oil.

At a time when auto manufacturers are battling legal mandates to produce more zero-emissions vehicles, while cranking up production of highly profitable SUVs, a little social responsibility by citizens and corporations alike seems to be sorely needed.

TED LEVY

Venice