Absolutely get the anxiety, though I will agree with your family that it’s a basic skill. Astonishingly, a significant number of jobs here in the US require a driver’s license, even if driving isn’t part of the job responsibilities. A friend of mine is hitting this right now and it’s making their life a lot harder.
Honestly I think it was more than 15 years ago. As soon as “light trucks” (a category including SUVs) became less regulated than any other vehicle, it’s been aggressive marketing from automakers to push them. Remember when even the Simpsons was pushing how terrible and dangerous SUVs were with the canyonero? It’s just been political loopholes pushed by corporations, and now we live in a country where the top 3 best selling vehicles have all been 20 foot long pickups for years.
And, as a reminder, the top 3 best selling vehicles in the US have all been pickups the last several years in a row. The F Series is king.
Only 19 feet? I’m pretty sure the ford f series trucks cap out between 22 and 24
Personally I’m big on Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart. A mod of a doom mod that plays like super mario kart pushed to it’s absolute limit, with a community that has added most characters you can think of, a million quality of life changes, and some things that crank it to 11 for me, like the blue shell equivalent moving just slightly faster than your top speed, so if you play perfectly and drift dash nonstop you can keep it just barely tickling your butthole but not hitting you.
I so deeply want Tesla to release automated vehicles with no drivers or observers in them. I’m sure that a company that has had it’s dealerships get attacked will have no problem with cars on the road unaccompanied.
Don’t forget! If there’s dlc for that game, it’s not included there, either.