America's Killer Cars

 

The September 7, 2024 issue of the Economist has this provocative title on its cover page. 

Strong words but they back their statement up with substantial research: They used data from 7.5m crashes in 14 States for ten years (2013-2023. They found that "for every 10,000 crashes the heaviest vehicles kill 37 people in the other car, compared with 5.7 for cars of a median weight and just 2.6 for the lightest."

Vehicles have been getting heftier over time, but a big culprit are pickup trucks, large SUvs and EVs. For example, ehe Ford F-150 Lightning weighs ~40% more than its gasoline version. EPA figures show that the average new car in the US weights 4,4000 lbs compared to 3,300 lbs in EU and 2,600 lbs in Japan.

"Individually, it is rational for people to buy bigger cars. As Tony Soprano once said to his son A.J. when discussing SUVs, So you want to be the sucker in a regular car who gets decapitated? Yet the sum of those decisions is much more lethal roads, as well as more expensive car insurance."

Suggested solutions:

1. Mandate lighter cars because "if the heaviest 10% of vehicles in America’s fleet shrank by roughly 1,000 lb, road fatalities in multi-car crashes would fall by 12%, or 2,300 a year, without sacrificing the safety of the heavier cars." France and Norway have applied additional weight taxes similar to the gas guzzler tax in the US.

2. Road design matters: "Driving in Mississippi is four times as dangerous as in Massachusetts." Make roads safer by enforcing speed limits and avoiding high speed roads near high pedestrian activity such as 4-lane highways next to shopping malls, that mix pedestrians and turning cars with vehicles traveling at high speeds.

3. Abolish tax breaks for overweight luxury SUVs and luxury pickup trucks used in business; many of these vehicles cost over $100,000! For example, "With a gross vehicle weight of more than 6,000 pounds, the G-Wagen* qualifies as business equipment for a Section 179 tax write-off." (Market Realist)

* The 2025 G-Wagen base price is $150,000. A Ford F-150 Platinum or King Ranch versions starts at $75,000.

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