] People driving or riding in a sport utility vehicle in
] 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in an
] accident than people in cars, the figures show. The
] government began keeping detailed statistics on the
] safety of vehicle categories in 1994. I really cannot conceive of SUVs as the root of all evil of the auto industry. If anything, that title should belong to policy makers who refuse to hike min mpg requirements or lobbyists who insist that making such policy would send the U.S. back into little more than primordial ooze (technically speaking). If they could more than double the average mpg from 12 mpg in '72 to 24 mpg in '82, they can sure as hell stack on some additional efficiency now without flushing the economy. Rightly so, however, many of the arguments for high mpg center around the atrociously heavy SUV; SUVs are pulling down the average mpg as they rise in popularity while Congress continually defeats laws that would raise the minimum average mpg or demand tighter safety restrictions (like mandatory side-curtain airbags). However, the trend seems to be subtly shifting from giant behemoths like the Tahoe and Expedition to more car-like vehicles with comparable weight, height, and location of center-of-gravity. I was standing next to a new Lexus SUV the other day and noticed that it was shorter than me (5'3). It's chassis is from a car, not a truck, and as such the weight and location of the center-of-gravity are greatly reduced, the benefits of which contribute greatly to fuel efficiency and rollover resistance (respectively). However, with the current standing in Congress, things just aren't going to change. Benefits to fuel-efficient drivers are expiring while tax breaks for land-barge drivers are increasing. And that's just the trouble with consumption; there's hasn't been a "call to arms" for fuel efficiency increase since the 70s. And, even in places where legislation is making the giant leap towards energy efficiency, some of the enforcers are being held up by their own biases; check out the link for an article entitled "California's SUV Ban: The Golden State has outlawed big SUVs on many of its roads but doesn't seem to know it." So, before its too late, I hope the policy makers, automakers and consumers seek to narrow the gap between SUVs and cars before the decline in oil production does it for us. http://slate.msn.com/id/2104755 Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars | 
