Fuel economy standards called deadly

The easiest way for automakers to increase the fuel efficiency of their fleet is to downsize their cars, according to a study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

July 15, 1999
Web posted at: 12:31 p.m. EDT (1631 GMT)

Environmental groups contend that the fuel economy standards, known as CAFE standards, have not forced automakers to build cheap, unsafe cars but that the automakers have skimped on safety in the name of profits.

"As long as people drive, there will be fatal accidents," said Ann Mesnikoff of the Sierra Clubs global warming and energy program. "It is the auto industry's choice to use auto technology how they choose. The fact of the matter is they make cheap cars and don't put safety in them."

The death toll attributed to the CAFE standards is the centerpiece of a study, Deadly Effects of Fuel Economy Standards, put out by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

According to the study, the easiest way for automakers to increase the fuel efficiency of their fleet is to down size their cars. Smaller cars lead to more fatal accidents.

"You can make small cars safer," said Emily McGee, a spokeswoman for the institute. "But you can't argue with physics — the bigger the car the safer it is."

The CAFE standards arose in the mid-1970s as a response to the energy crisis. It was believed that fuel-efficient cars would help Americans conserve oil and reduce their dependence on foreign oil.

While the standards have resulted in cars that are about 50 percent more fuel efficient than they were in 1975, they have done nothing to decrease America's dependence on foreign oil. About half of the oil consumed today is imported, up 35 percent from 1975, according to the Sustainable Energy Coalition.

Today, the push for fuel-efficient cars has morphed from a response to the energy crisis to a response to the threat of global warming — the most serious environmental problem we have ever faced, according to the Sierra Club.

Many of the world's prominent scientists agree that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide from the burning of oil, are expected increase global average temperatures by a few degrees resulting in a rise in sea levels that could swamp coastal communities, an increase in severe weather and the rapid spread of infectious diseases.

Environmental groups argue that raising the CAFE standards to 45 miles per gallon for cars and 34 miles per gallon for light trucks will help reduce pollution and consequently the threat of global warming

The Competitive Enterprise Institute argues that raising the CAFE standards will result in even more deaths — between 3,800 and 5,700 deaths annually — a price, they say, that is too high.

To counter the institute's study, Mesnikoff cites a study from the federal government's General Accounting Office that concludes, "the unprecedented increase in the proportion of light cars on the road since the 1970s has not increased the total highway fatality rate."

Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.