Alliance Against Urban 4x4s
Starting in 2003, with just a handful of spoof parking tickets in Camden Town, the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s grew into a mass campaign against inappropriate 4x4 vehicles in urban areas across the UK.
We campaigned for sensible measures to discourage highly polluting cars from towns and cities, such as basing parking charges and the London Congestion Charge on CO2 emissions - measures that were adopted by several local councils and the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
We also wanted to see much higher differentials in 'road tax' (Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty) between the cleanest and most polluting cars.
When we started, the highest rate was just £400. Now, the most polluting cars pay £1,000 (although this is still just for the first year!).
Our campaign had serious aims, but we held a lot of fun events to make our point, including dressing as teachers and lollipop ladies to give out school reports in Hampstead, a 'Mudwash' on the King's Road, a dinosaur hunt at Porsche, a visit to Chelsea FC with the 'footballers' wives', and our unique crash test dummies on the school run in Highgate.
Our work helped stimulate a wide public debate about the safety, climate and air pollution problems caused by using these highly engineered, specialist vehicles as an urban family car.
And, as a result of this change in public opinion and the higher cost of tax, parking and fuel, sales of the most polluting vehicles have dropped dramatically in recent years.
The Alliance Against Urban 4x4s became We Are Futureproof in 2008, but you can still read our archived campaign website and blog here:
ALLIANCE AGAINST URBAN 4X4S WEBSITE
The launch of the Alliance - watch the video:
- Watch Sian from We Are Futureproof speaking at the D&AD 'Sharp'ner' event this week: http://t.co/Vp8HYk5V
- Cars that drive themselves? They aren't so far off - http://tinyurl.com/3cky95g
What we do
Campaigning for better information on car adverts
A CO2 Charge for London to charge a fair price to gas-guzzlers and reward cleaner cars.
Working with others for stronger EU targets for new cars.
What we have done
The Alliance Against Urban 4x4s
Starting in 2003, we helped turn the tide against those ridiculous Chelsea tractors.