Earlier quoted context omitted.
You definitely don't need anything - you can raise kids in the woods as our ancestors did. But I don't think large vehicles an American thing, it's a wealth thing. Eg in Japan, which is rich, pretty much anytime you see a family with kids on the road, they were in a Toyota Alphard (look it up, never heard of it till I saw them) which are huge vs typical car. Similarly around the world, the size of the typical family…
In Europe the trend of trucks replacing cars is poking through in some places but still the most common car for a family is a estate car. Large trunks for carrying whatever might be needed during a family trip while still being a small car, not much heavier than their sedan counterparts. I really don't understand why a family would choose a truck over a estate car except for the increased safety against other trucks…
Maybe they like the visibility it offers by sitting up higher. That's probably one of the most common ones I hear. I have heard people say they feel safer in one too.
You also present it as a choice of truck vs something else. Most American families have multiple vehicles, so it's a truck and something else. I'd wager families buying $60k+ trucks almost certainly have a second vehicle.