Maybe... I think it would definitely help. I think just driving a smaller car that puts you in control might cause a lot of people to switch. I know that when I've done the opposite; gone from a very performance oriented car to a random person's SUV, I've felt extremely unsafe comparatively in breaking, merging, changing lanes, parking, etc. etc. I think most people just have little experience to compare it to anymore.
I also think it's odd that people don't already choose other options w/o a tax in place, considering the price of a bigger vehicle is almost always just going to be higher because of materials and a bunch of other factors.
>I know that when I've done the opposite; gone from a very performance oriented car to a random person's SUV, I've felt extremely unsafe
Which two cars? I've gone from a 911 to a BMW X5 and the X5 was just as fun for what it was. They are completely different cars, I'm not sure what you would expect and why you judge others.
That's a totally different comparison. I'm sure the X5 is fine for what it is, but most people are driving around in ~30k USD SUVs. That's the type of vehicle that I'm referencing. I'm comparing it against my 2012 VW GTI w/ a lot of mods. Both vehicles cost about the same new. They have similar interior cargo space. My GTI is worth less than 15k USD. I'm not judging just based on fun, it's true that a nimble car can get you into trouble, but in my experience it also often gets you out of trouble.