Senate oks bill to cut vehicle fuel consumption (and kill more motorists)

Reuters ^ | Dec 13, 2007 | Staff

[Aristotelian]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate late on Thursday approved a broad energy bill that would increase the fuel efficiency of U.S. cars and trucks for the first time since 1975 and significantly boost production of renewable motor fuels like ethanol.

[Aristotelian]

Fuel efficiency standards are an indisputable example of a federal law that kills!

USA Today years ago exposed this law for the death sentence that it is for U.S. motorists and their passengers. Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it estimated that 46,000 people - nearly as many Americans as lost their lives in the Vietnam War - died between 1975 and 1999 as a result of the vehicle downsizing and downweighting resulting from the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

The only affordable way for automakers to meet these standards is to reduce the mass and weight of their vehicles. Which means that more of the energy in crashes is absorbed by vehicle occupants. It's simple physics.

When will Washington stop killing us in the name of energy efficiency?

For more info, see http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA427.html

[Redbob]

"When will Washington stop killing us in the name of energy efficiency?"

When we stop electing cretins.
But then, if they had anything on the ball, why would they be in the Senate in the first place?

[getarope]

Washington will stop when all drivers are forced to drive those Smart cars which are nothing more than glorified golf carts. What an inane move.

[abercrombie_guy_38]

Good. We need to get off oil. Every time you fill your gas tank you give money to Islamofacists.

[TheMightyQuinn]

The U.S. Senate late on Thursday approved a broad energy bill that would increase the fuel efficiency of U.S. cars and trucks

Wait a minute! The senate can create legislation that increases fuel efficiency?! Why not legislate infinite fuel efficiency? While they're at it, maybe they can legislate away terrorists, poverty, crime, etc.

[theBuckwheat]

Stock Play Alert: AutoNation, AutoZone, CoPart, OReilly Automotive, any parts refurbisher/rebuilder. Why? Because used cars have suddenly become much more valuable to keep running.

[eyedigress]

They are going to eventually challenge mileage IMO and not consumption. I travel about 500mi a week in a car that gets 30mpg. That’s to much freedom in their eyes.

[Nuc1]

E-mailed my congress critters yesterday. Gave them such a large piece of my mind I don’t have much left. But you have too, ya know, with those black holes of wisdom from the state of Vermont. So dense not a ray of intellect can escape.

[Racer1]

Exactly!