The SUV Owners of America organisation (SOA) has said that a state of Maryland bill would impose “an unfair and extortive tax” on owners of large SUVs.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
It “would succeed only in punishing families, farmers, boaters, equestrians, and others who rely on the utility and safety offered by the popular vehicle”, the SOA said in a statement.
The organisation said a bill introduced by Maryland delegate William Bronrott would force owners of larger vehicles to pay a surcharge of $US750 each year on top of the registration fee already required by the state. A hearing on the bill was held this week by the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee and, if passed, would go into effect in October.
“Larger vehicles have lower fatality rates, and SUVs, especially the larger ones, have the best overall safety records,” said SOA president Ron DeFore. “That’s why many families choose to drive SUVs. So why does Maryland want to punish them? This tax would place an unfair burden on many families, and others who may not be able to afford the additional tax and be forced into smaller vehicles that they don’t want to drive.
“We urge Maryland legislators from outside the Washington, DC suburbs representing farming, boating, and other ‘real-world’ pursuits to vote nay on this irresponsible bill.”
The independent, non-profit SOA claims to have over 23,000 supporters and to represent the interests of 25 million SUV owners across the US.
