I might try to deflate a little bit of the smugness on this board when it comes to SUVs. (I’m pretty conservative, but I drive a boring American sedan.) However, there is much to be said for larger cars for protecting families. Like many of the unintended consquences of the “Green” movement (food shortgages because of ethanol and limited domestic oil production), our highway fatalities will likely increase with many people driving in hybrids and cars like the Honda “Fit.” If I had a family, I would likely drive the largest car I could afford to fuel (while acknowledging that SOME of the SUVs are prone to rollovers).
Concerning increased deaths from smaller cars, here is a recent study below showing the correclation between higher CAFE standards and highway fatalities. (Many of you green types will have wished you were in a larger car as traffic suddently stops before you on the freeway and you’ve got no place to go.)
God love ’em for their concern for the environment (and attempting to keep us off foreign oil, etc.), but I find many of my single liberal friends only see the world through their lense and have a difficult time putting themselves into other people’s shoes. If you have a family . . . you do not want to be cramming the two children you love more than anything in a Prius. I’ve even heard flack about mini-vans being too large . . . again they didn’t have any kids. Why not strap the kids on a backpack and take them around on a motorcycle?
