Are there stats that show that these trucks cause a social problem worthy of regulation, or do we just not like the archetypical truck guy?
https://www.nber.org/digest/nov11/vehicle-weight-and-automot...
Your "bicycle is more dangerous than a pedestrian" is a very poor analogy. Bicycles provide a ton more utility than walking. The same can't really be said for a suburban parent driving a couple of kids to soccer practice in a giant truck vs. the station wagons of the past.
Is it possible that these parents are seeing some utility that isn't obvious to you, and then buy the vehicles based on that utility?
As someone who had a compact car in college, then was a car-less New Yorker for 20 years, and now is a dad of two with an SUV, the utility is obvious :)
But I don't think large vehicles an American thing, it's a wealth thing.
Eg in Japan, which is rich, pretty much anytime you see a family with kids on the road, they were in a Toyota Alphard (look it up, never heard of it till I saw them) which are huge vs typical car.
Similarly around the world, the size of the typical family car varies with the wealth of the country (richer countries bigger cars) and likewise wealth of the individual families.
So I think the thing about the US is that our wealth and the quality/dimensions of our roads enable us to drive larger cars.
I really don't understand why a family would choose a truck over a estate car except for the increased safety against other trucks. It's a self-reinforcing effect, if there are more larger cars on the road, some people will purchase one just to feel safer against the others.
Maybe they like the visibility it offers by sitting up higher. That's probably one of the most common ones I hear. I have heard people say they feel safer in one too.
You also present it as a choice of truck vs something else. Most American families have multiple vehicles, so it's a truck and something else. I'd wager families buying $60k+ trucks almost certainly have a second vehicle.
How many families that own a truck in the USA have the need to transport ATVs, boats, and so on? It really doesn't add up in my head that the vast majority of these beastly trucks I see on highways when I go to the US have this need.
Where I live houses are also made of wood, I really need some data instead of just an opinion on why there are so many trucks in the USA, it really doesn't make sense without hard data.
Sure, you can rent anything. I responded to somebody who does not understand why would anybody need a truck. Many people post on HN regularly how they don't own a car and rent one if they need it. I don't see how this proves that you cannot possibly need a truck though, why you rent one if you don't need it?
>How many families that own a truck in the USA have the need to transport ATVs, boats, and so on?
All that have ATVs, boats, and so on? It's pretty pointless to have one without means of transportation since you cannot really drive an ATV on the street, much less so a boat.
>Where I live houses are also made of wood, I really need some data instead of just an opinion
I cannot help you with that other than giving you dimensions of common lumber items: plywood and drywall comes in 8'x4' sheets, dimensional lumber can be anywhere from 8' to 20', you can check it out at any supplier.