Posted by
Katy Grimes on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 3:02:09 PM
There is no getting around the fact that more people die in small cars.
The National Academy of Sciences, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Congressional Budget Office and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have separately concluded in multiple studies dating back about 20 years that fuel-economy standards force automakers to build more small cars, which has led to thousands more deaths in crashes annually.
And now, in his continuing quest to lower everyone's lifestyle in America, the Obama administration's sweeping fuel-economy and emissions initiative announced Tuesday reopens a fierce debate over tradeoffs between fuel economy and auto safety (USA Today)
As privately owned Auto dealerships all over the country are being forced to close because of Obama's government takeover of Chrysler and General Motors, this latest move is evidence of the control that environmentalists weild over the Democrats and Obama administration, and comes as automakers' dire financial straits are forcing safety to a back burner. (USA Today)
While elected Democrats continue to enhance their lifestyles in hired cars, private planes, drivers, limos, paid-for dinners and vacations, working Americans and small business owners are being forced to cut staff, cut pay, give up retirement, forgo salaries and the like. And now, the Obama administration is going to force us to give up our SUV's, trucks, large sedans and cars.
No. I will not. This is not the USSR (until now).
A concern for automakers is that if buyers return to their historical preference for bigger vehicles, manufacturers might end up behind the mileage and emissions curve and in danger of missing the mandated goal. That could force car companies to push smaller cars into the market.
"When regulations establish requirements on what people buy, not what we make, if people aren't buying those, we have to offer incentives," says Sue Cischke, Ford Motor's vice president for environment and safety. "We can't force people to buy what they don't want to buy." (USA Today)
I believe in the law of physics and drive a good-sized car for a reason. I also pay for it - gas, insurance, & upkeep. Because I maintain it wel, it is not polluting the way so many of the beater cars driven by low-life are... but are not required to register or maintain.
If the American government wants to see a revolution, keep it up. We are not running or cowering. We are not going to give up our safety, security or our hard-earned homes, cars, trucks, sports cars or RV's.