Why the Suv Is Bad Essay Example

order to address America's oil addiction and combat lung cancer. Established in 1975 as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) legislation mandates automakers to meet gas mileage or fuel economy standards determined by the Department of Energy. The current CAFE standard for cars has remained at 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) since 1986.

The existing CAFE standard for light trucks, encompassing SUVs, has been stagnant at 20.7 mpg since 1996. Nevertheless, a few SUVs still exhibit fuel efficiency levels lower than 20 mpg.

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is a requirement that applies to all vehicles made by a manufacturer. The average fuel economy must meet specific criteria. For instance, for a manufacturer's line of light trucks to comply with the standard, they must have an average fuel economy of at least 20.7 mpg (Frontline: Before you buy an SUV). Among SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 has the highest fuel efficiency, achieving 25 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. On the other hand, the Land Rover Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC K1500 Yukon Denali have lower fuel efficiency ratings of 12 mpg in the city and 15 mpg on the highway (Frontline: Before you buy an SUV). To meet CAFE standards, major car companies can include more fuel-efficient vehicles in their lineup while still offering popular models that adhere to lower standards.

When you look at the cars on the road, do you see more Land Rovers and Escalades or the Toyota RAV4? Regrettably, SUVs add to the rise in air pollution. Before 1975, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified all light trucks as either

passenger cars or light-duty vehicles. However, International Harvester brought this issue to the U.S. Court of Appeals and contended that light trucks should be categorized separately because they are used in agriculture and commerce. As a result, lighter trucks have had less stringent emissions standards ever since.

The current Clean Air Act (CAA) Tier 1 standards allow light trucks of higher weight classes to emit higher pollution levels compared to passenger cars. However, it is crucial to note that trucks in the T1 class (under 3,501 lbs.) are still required to meet the same standards as passenger cars.

According to a report in January by Yacobucci, SUVs and pickups, along with vans, are allowed to emit significantly more carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) compared to passenger cars. Ford, a major car manufacturer, addressed this information in their initial "corporate citizenship report" presented at the annual shareholders' meeting in Georgia's capital city. Ford Motor emphasized that SUVs have a greater impact on global warming, produce more pollution leading to smog, and pose risks for other drivers. Despite the negative environmental effects, the company intends to continue manufacturing SUVs due to their high profitability; however, they will explore technological solutions and consider alternatives. Business for Social Responsibility, an organization based in San Francisco, highlighted Ford Motor's unusual acknowledgment of the ethical challenges associated with their profitable products.

According to Bradsher (2000), enforcing the CAA standards presents challenges for several reasons. Originally, the act targeted farmers and individuals who used SUVs for transportation purposes. These vehicles are typically employed in agricultural, commercial, or off-road activities that do not require long distances. However, the EPA highlights that SUVs are now

being utilized more often as passenger cars, resulting in a rise in annual miles traveled. This is supported by a survey which found that 87% of interviewed SUV owners have never taken their vehicle off the highway. As a result, emissions from each individual vehicle have increased due to higher mileage.

(Yacobucci, January) The popularity of SUVs in America has led to their market share surpassing small passenger cars by more than three times. However, this increase also means that SUVs play a significant role in vehicular air pollution. In the U.S., SUVs account for one out of every four new vehicles sold and are the most preferred vehicle type in the country.

When it comes to SUV and pickup trucks, another social aspect to consider is the potential danger they pose to other drivers in the event of a rollover or accident. A prominent U.S. auto-safety regulator has cautioned that these vehicles lack sufficient safety measures, and consumers should bear this in mind before making a purchase.

Dr. Jeffery Runge, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, expressed his perplexity regarding people's decision-making process when it comes to buying a vehicle. While individuals may feel secure while seated inside a car, he stressed that relying solely on intuition is insufficient when it comes to choosing a safe automobile.

According to Dr. Runge, an emergency room physician for two decades and the current head of the NHTSA, SUV drivers face a greater risk of experiencing deadly rollovers due to their vehicles having a high center of gravity. This specific characteristic heightens the chances of SUVs toppling over during abrupt maneuvers. Dr. Runge also emphasized that in 2001,

while only constituting 3 percent of all car accidents in the US, rollovers accounted for nearly one-third of fatalities among vehicle occupants. Additionally, individuals riding in SUVs were more than three times as likely to perish from a rollover compared to those traveling in passenger cars.

(NHTSA: SUVs not safe enough, 2003) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report stating that in the year 2000, there were approximately 6,394,000 police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes. These crashes resulted in 41,821 deaths, with a slight increase of 0.2% from the previous year. Additionally, about 3,189,000 individuals sustained injuries and property damage occurred in around 4,286,000 collisions. Astonishingly, there were an average of about 115 fatalities per day due to motor vehicle accidents - equivalent to one death every 13 minutes. What's even more surprising is that single-vehicle rollovers (including more than just SUVs) caused the highest number of annual deaths among all types of motor-vehicle accidents; accounting for one-fourth of all fatalities.

In 1999, Frontline released a report called "Before you buy an SUV," which revealed that rollover accidents were responsible for 63 percent of all SUV fatalities. The report also highlighted the fact that compared to cars, SUVs posed a threefold higher risk of causing death to occupants in other vehicles involved in a crash. Moreover, due to their tendency to roll over and lack of crumple zones, the fatality rate for SUV occupants was found to be as high as that for car occupants (Bradsher, 2000). Considering these concerns, William C. Ford Jr., Chairman of Ford, expressed worries about potential reputation problems similar to those faced by major tobacco companies if automakers fail to

address the issues associated with SUVs.

Despite assertions that customers consistently express a desire for environmentally responsible products, Ford Motor and its CEO Jacques Nasser have no intentions of ceasing production of sport utilities. Ford argues that if they do not provide such vehicles, someone else will, although they may not do so responsibly. Nasser warns that customers are unwilling to pay more or give up features on their sport utilities in order to meet environmental demands. Thus, owning an SUV continues to hold appeal due to the perceived status and power it conveys on the road. (Bradsher, 2000)

While small cars may have the potential to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency, the disadvantages in terms of safety outweigh these benefits. Hence, it is crucial for Americans to rethink their preference for larger vehicles and prioritize social responsibility.

The information is sourced from both "San Francisco Chronicle" and "Frontline". The source "San Francisco Chronicle" was accessed on September 21, 2008 from http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/051200-02.htm. Another source titled "Before you buy an SUV" is from "Frontline". (n. d.)

The source of this information is PBS, retrieved on September 21, 2008, from the website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/etc/before.html.

According to NHTSA, SUVs are considered to be not safe enough.

The following text is a hyperlink to an article sourced from CNN Money, accessed on January 15, 2003. The author of the article is O'Donnell and it was published on March 29, 2006.

The article titled "Big SUVs to face new fuel-economy rules" was obtained from USA Today on September 21, 2008, via the following link: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-03-29-cafe_x.

The National Library for the Environment provides a source on Sport Utility Vehicles, Mini-Vans and Light Trucks written by B.D. Yacobucci

in January 6, 2001. The source can be accessed at http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/Air/air-32.cfm?=4133327=60612217 and was retrieved on September 21, 2008.