Problem is those busses only work in metro areas, not interstate distance, and most people have no time to themselves anymore. At home it's kids, parents, or roommates, or some combination of those. At work, it's coworkers, employers, clients, and/or the general public intrude. In the car, YOU are in control, and you are alone within your steel shell. You do what you want with nobody (except the stray highway patrol looking for speeders) looking over your shoulder. At least, that's the unspoken psychology of it. Add to that the fact that most people who ride public transportation out of necessity usually live in poorer or ghetto areas, the inconvenience and insecurity of having to wait at a bus stop (do this in the rain a few times and you'll go back to driving) and the fact that you're confined with other people and it's no stretch as to why it's not very popular. As long as people can afford to drive themselves around they will.
As for SUV's... they have an illusion of safety and strength. Sure, they can beat up on the average sedan in a fender bender, but they're not tanks, and I hear about people driving SUV's dying all the time. Telephone polls and trees don't discriminate. Nor do tractor-trailers.
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