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It's a prisoner's dilemma, no wonder rational actors chose to maximize personal safety by making the problem worse for everybody else. An arms race of mechanica
by yholio 8y ago
It's a prisoner's dilemma, no wonder rational actors chose to maximize personal safety by making the problem worse for everybody else. An arms race of mechanical impulse.
An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced.
- coredog64 8y agoLike many issues in the US car market, it's exacerbated by CAFE. The light truck segment (which includes SUVs) have a less restrictive fuel economy standard and offers consumers more car for less money. The US would be better off sunsetting CAFE and harmonizing vehicle regulations with European nations. Just like the train cars mentioned in the linked story, that would allow US consumers to buy fuel efficient cars without the market distortions caused by CAFE.
- bsder 8y agoExcept that it doesn't improve safety--for the driver of the suburban tank or their victim. Better handling and braking due to a lower center of mass and less mass actually improves safety by getting into fewer accidents.
- xsmasher 8y ago>>> An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced. That is clever and I like it. Kinetic energy limits! Just like "allow electrics to use the carpool lane" encourages electrics, this would incentivize making smaller cars.