In this latest episode, we also speak with one of the members of Tyre Extinguishers – the activist group that has hit the headlines in recent weeks for going out at night and deflating the tyres of SUVs (with the help of lentils) and leaving leaflets highlighting to the owners the damage that their vehicles – collectively responsible for more emissions worldwide than all but five countries, according to a recent study – are doing to the environment, as well as the danger they pose to other road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

Why target those vehicles specifically, rather than other issues that could help reduce global emissions, we asked.

“We've chosen SUVs for a number of reasons – not least the International Energy Agency's research showing that the increasing pace of SUV buying is cancelling out all the carbon savings from people switching to electric cars. If SUV drivers were a country, it would be the sixth-largest emitter in the world.”

Other reasons for the group targeting SUVs include air pollution, increasingly linked to a number of health conditions, the increased risk of death or injury to other people that the vehicles – and their drivers – present, plus the fact that “they are absolutely everywhere – and that means people in almost every urban area can take this action.”

As for the reaction they have received? “We've had very many death threats, almost entirely from men,” they told us. “There are a lot of men with fragile egos out there who seem to value their cars more than their children's future.

“But it’s worth saying we have had loads of support – lots of people getting in touch, saying they love what we're doing. We even had some journalists getting in touch saying they loved it – and not from media outlets you might expect to be sympathetic!

“Our favourite bit of media coverage by far is the weekend motoring article in The Telegraph on 3rd April, which suggested that motorists opt for smaller cars to avoid being targeted by the Tyre Extinguishers.

“This was proof to us that our campaign is starting to affect people's behaviour – that's a win. Imagine what we could do if even more people got involved,” they added.

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https://road.cc/content/news/roadcc-podcast-vedangi-kulkarni-tyre-extinguishers-292163