Safety, Fuel Economy and SUVs

Excerpts from the Common Dreams Progressive Newswire:

This past April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a stunning statistic: For the first time in a quarter century, the number of traffic fatalities in the United States rose over the previous year’s total – to 42,850. We also found out this spring that the average fuel economy for the nation’s fleet of motor vehicles declined in 2002 – for the first time in 22 years – to 20.4 mpg. There is a simple explanation for these alarming statistics: the proliferation of sport utility vehicles, which now make up one-fourth of all new vehicles sold. These vehicles are threatening to overwhelm the revolutionary safety improvements we have seen since the first auto safety laws were passed by Congress in 1966. And they are steadily rolling back the significant fuel conservation gains that began with passage of the first Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in 1975.

Had Congress in 1990 passed CAFE legislation sponsored by Sen. Richard Bryan, passenger cars would now be getting, on average, 40 miles per gallon, and SUVs and other light trucks would be getting 29 miles per gallon. This would have saved motorists $89 billion in fuel costs and reduced U.S. oil consumption by 1.5 billion barrels in 2002 alone. It also would have resulted in safer highways for everyone.

This is an excerpt from a Statement of Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook. Read the entire statement and find out what Detroit's big three are planning to (not) do.