Unsafe at Any Speed

Hey Mr. Green,

Regarding your comment that safety features in cars add "only" 125 pounds to car weight, I remind you that an additional 100 pounds of car weight can reduce the mileage by up to 2 percent.

 –Sally in Newport News, Virginia

Hey Sally,

I'm well aware that 100 pounds can reduce mileage by 1 to 2 percent and have said so before.

But what's up with all you guys leaping to defend automakers from the menacing Mr. Green? My point was that 100 or so extra pounds is trivial compared to an additional 1,000-plus pounds. The auto barons piled that tonnage onto huge new petrol-guzzlers named for natural disasters and military raids, aggressively marketing aggressive vehicles to consumers unlikely to buy efficient cars.

The size factor was just another symptom of Detroit’s indefensible rapacity and stupidity, which got us into deep trouble during the mid-1970 fuel shortages because it wasn't making efficient cars. But the auto bosses learned nothing, repeated the same mistake, and went for a quick profit, with the result that they now face a 16-lane economic crash and are holding out their hubcaps begging for a bailout. I certainly hope the industry can be saved somehow, because I don’t want to see a couple million workers lose their jobs because of their bosses' incompetence. But we should all contact our senators and representatives demanding that they implement and enforce strict energy-efficiency requirements on the auto industry as a condition for financial help that comes from taxpayers. Otherwise, the same mistakes will be made again 30 years or so down the road.

In any case, the additional fuel consumed because of cars’ safety features has realized a huge payback in terms of drastically reduced cases of death and injury. In 1963, highway accidents killed more people than today, 41,723 vs. 41,059. This despite the fact that we are driving close to four times as many miles! With all factors accounted for, the fatality rate has dropped a whopping 400 percent. Of course, some of this is due to better roads, better traffic enforcement, and better trauma care, but safety features are clearly a major factor. Seat belts alone are estimated to save some 12,000 lives per year, and airbags another 1,600.

A bit of history: Before launching his tragic presidential campaigns, Ralph Nader saved hundreds of thousands of lives with his crusade for auto safety and his classic indictment of Detroit's carmakers, Unsafe at Any Speed. Back in the 1960s, when automakers were adamantly resisting safety features, General Motors went so far as to hire a detective to shadow Nader, hoping to dig up enough dirt to discredit the guy.

If Detroit had succeeded in beating Nader down, the total number of deaths from vehicle accidents would now be far higher than the 3.4 million slaughtered on American roads since the first recorded fatalities in 1899. That's about three times more casualties than claimed by all U.S. wars, from the Revolutionary until today's oil-centric carnage in Iraq -- yet another reason why the automobile is a major public-health menace and should be treated as such.

Comments

[Nancy G]

In reference to your reader's healthy concern that 100 lb of safety modifications would increase mileage. If your 1-2% is correct,then a mileage rating of 25 mpg would increase to 25.25 or 25.5 mpg. As you say, nothing like the mileage decrease built into the heavy SUVs.

[lisap]

There are limitations when it comes to driving. We should observe road traveling safety for a happy trip result. Our self-discipline is important in doing so. Payday loans and recycling has definitely allowed more green in my life – environmentally and financially. Perhaps I won’t be buying a new refrigerator or a hybrid car anytime soon, but there are tons of things I do on a daily basis that keeps me going green. I don’t understand why many people have such a hard time living green by doing a simple thing like recycling. While saving the environment, I also make money by recycling everything possible. Living green has provided that extra cash flow that will certainly come in handy during this holiday season. The economy has been really hard on our finances this year and living green provides the budget help we desperately need. There are so many things that are low cost and easy to do to help save the environment. At home, I separate everything out and create individual bins for each recyclable good. I’ve made extra cash by recycling all my aluminum cans and have taught my children to do the same. However, I learned something new after reading this article. It talked about how to make extra money by recycling cell phones. I have a drawer filled with old cell phones and I’m glad I can finally get rid of them and make extra cash at the same time. I will do anything and everything to enhance my budget, especially during this holiday season. In addition to the article, it offers great holiday ideas on how to save money and the environment at the same time. I’ll be saving a lot more money by using things around the house for gift wraps. I have a huge container full of old ribbons and strings and I know there’s a mound of shoeboxes in the attic, which will create perfect gift wraps. Although I’ll be saving a lot more money, I might still need some help during this holiday season. Thankfully, payday loans are available by a click of a mouse in case I need help covering some bills.

[roy]

In defense a little of US auto companies, they're not completely retrograde. My brother bought a new GMC pickup (necessary for work) and it was several thousand less, and only one mpg lower, than a far smaller Japanese model. Many people in Detroit are working hard, the decisions at the executive level are the problem.

And further, although automotive consumption IS a very large factor, most energy is consumed by industry and homes, not automobiles. Of course, consumers in both of those sectors seem more sensitive to high prices, and conserve more, accordingly.

[Tari Ledsome]

Driving slow doesn't assure you of safety. Sometimes a reckless driver will surprise you and suddenly crash onto your car, even if you drive smooth and slow. A stricter implementation of road safety by the police is key in reducing accident rates in our highways.