Safety and Cafe standards

[Perchoutofwater]

An interesting read from USA Today regarding safety and cafe standards. I found it interesting that Obama withdrew the name of the man he wanted to head up the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the outcry of environmentalist because he was a safety advocate and acknowledged the link between cafe standards and increased fatalities. I also find interesting that as late as June of last year, GM and Chrysler were very vocally against raising cafe standards, but now that the Obama administration has them by the balls they are ok with it. The article also acknowledges that very few people want to buy these smaller cars so the auto manufactures have to put high incentives on them. So we are putting a greater burden on already suffering industry.

 

Here are some interesting facts:

 

According to a 2003 NHTSA study, when a vehicle is reduced by 100 pounds the estimated fatality rate increases as much as 5.63 percent for light cars weighing less than 2,950 pounds, 4.70 percent for heavier cars weighing over 2,950 pounds and 3.06 percent for light trucks. Between model years 1996 and 1999, these rates translated into additional traffic fatalities of 13,608 for light cars, 10,884 for heavier cars and 14,705 for light trucks.

 

Crash data found that since CAFE went into effect in 1978, 46,000 people died in crashes they otherwise would have survived, had they been in bigger, heavier vehicles. This, according to a 1999 USA Today analysis of crash data since 1975, roughly figures to be 7,700 deaths for every mile per gallon gained in fuel economy standards. The USA Today report also said smaller cars - such as the Chevrolet Cavalier or Dodge Neon - accounted for 12,144 fatalities or 37 percent of vehicle deaths in 1997, though such cars comprised only 18 percent of all vehicles. - "Death By the Gallon" USA Today July 2, 1999

 

It looks like the US is becoming a country where you are free to choose to murder your unborn child, but are not free to choose what cars you want to drive. It is also my understanding that 1 ton trucks do not fall under the cafe standards. Can I go ahead an place my tricked out 2016 F350? People that want he added safety like me will have no problem buying these, so you just lost any environmental impact you might have had, and now the small cars are even more dangerous as they run up under my F350. He we didn't think it through, we ignored the economic impact of the policy, but we appeased the environmentalist.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Perchoutofwater

[westvirginia]

I read earlier today that the obamessiah probably signed the death warrant of more people with this action than got killed in the entire Iraq war. Wonder if there's any truth to that?