Half The Vehicles In Driveways Huge Gas Guzzling Polluting Trucks.

[Glassunion]

61. You observation is spot on for your area.

I'm no fan of folks buying more vehicle than they need. However, it is not up to me or you as a matter of fact, in getting to decide what folks can buy.

In CO, according to NADA data more than 1/2 of all vehicles sold in your state are light trucks and SUVs. But there are a lot of factors to keep in mind.
#1. As you know it snows in CO. Quite a bit in my opinion. A 4WD/AWD vehicle is the best for those driving conditions.
#2. Colorado has a high percent of folks employed in in industries that may require a heavier duty vehicle compared to a passenger car. (BLS data)
#3. Colorado has on average (when compared to the rest of the US) a higher wage for these occupations. (BLS data)

From the BLS data, I figure that there are about 400,000 folks employed in fields where a truck or SUV may be the prudent choice when selecting a vehicle. However there are many other occupations where a vehicle that is designed for driving in adverse conditions may also be the prudent choice. I'd rather have my Emergency Room doctor show up to work on time in their Light Duty pickup truck, than stuck in the snow in their passenger vehicle.

Also, not all job descriptions can accurately tell us if a heavier duty vehicle would be a requirement of the job. I'm a nerd. I have a nerd job. I work with computers for a living in the IT field. Most would look at my job description and state that I do not need a truck. However, in fact I do. My job takes me to new construction sites on a regular basis. I would be unable to enter the majority of these sites with a passenger vehicle. Plus with all of the equipment that I am required to bring, there would not be enough room for my tools and supplies.