CVC: Senate CAFE Plan is an Attack on Family Vehicles

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Some in the U.S. Senate are poised to make Washington bureaucrats the key decision-makers in determining what kind of cars and trucks people can buy and drive in the future. According to the Coalition for Vehicle Choice (CVC), the Senate plan will adversely affect consumers by forcing passenger cars, minivans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks to become smaller, less useful and significantly less safe.

At issue is a nearly three-decade-old federal program that requires cars and light trucks (a government-defined category that includes pickup trucks, minivans and SUVs) to meet mandated fuel economy standards. The Senate plan, championed by Senator John Kerry, calls for boosting car and light truck CAFE standards to 37 mpg by 2014 -- a 50% increase over current requirements. It would also re-define light trucks to include all passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds. Currently, CAFE standards apply to vehicles under 8,500 pounds.

``All Americans understand the importance of energy conservation and fuel efficiency, but not at the expense of safety and the availability of today's family vehicles,'' said CVC president, Diane Steed. ``The Senate should realize that absent a significant technological breakthrough, mandating higher fuel economy standards is, in essence, a requirement that minivans, SUVs and other light duty trucks become smaller, less powerful, and most importantly, less safe.''

Steed went on to charge that the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program has failed to meet its original goal of decreasing petroleum imports. ``Last week, Senator Kerry argued that 'if we enact the entire Bush energy plan, we will find ourselves twenty years from now more dependent on foreign oil than we are today.' So it's surprising that he advocates a drastic CAFE hike, considering its near 30-year history of failure. Since the federal government's CAFE policy began in 1975, U.S. petroleum imports have increased from 35 percent to nearly 60 percent today.''

``CAFE has not reduced our dependence on foreign oil, but it has certainly exacted steep prices in terms of highway safety and consumer options,'' continued Steed. As evidence, she pointed to CAFE's effect on passenger cars during the past 25 years:

* Smaller and Lighter - According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency tasked with both protecting our safety on the highway and setting CAFE standards, cars on average became 1,000 pounds lighter with wheelbases shrinking 10 inches since the mid-1970s. The full-sized family station wagon has all but disappeared from showroom floors because automakers can no longer include it in their fleets and meet the passenger car CAFE standard.

* Less Safe - All other things being equal, larger and heavier vehicles offer more crash protection than smaller, lighter vehicles. According to NHTSA, the downsizing caused by federal fuel economy standards results in some 2,000 deaths and 20,000 injuries each year. "Hiking CAFE will only increase that death toll," said Steed. Recently the National Academy of Sciences agreed, calling those deaths and injuries "one of the painful trade-offs that resulted from downweighting and downsizing and the resultant improved fuel economy."

* Less Useful - In 1978, nearly 70 percent of domestic car models could tow 2,100 pounds. Today, less than six percent can pull that weight. If you want to tow something, you need a light truck to do it.

When asked what Congress could do to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil, Steed pointed to advanced technologies -- like clean diesel, fuel cell and hybrid engines. However, Steed warned that significant technological and regulatory hurdles must be cleared before these alternatives can achieve widespread market penetration. ``Congress should focus on breaking down these barriers, rather than perpetuating a failed CAFE policy,'' she concluded.

CVC is a nonprofit organization representing more than 40,000 groups and individuals working to preserve Americans' access to safe, affordable cars and light trucks capable of meeting diverse personal and professional transportation needs. CVC members include automotive, insurance, consumer, farm, construction, recreation, law enforcement, seniors and safety organizations. For more information, visit CVC's web site at http://www.vehiclechoice.org .