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Originally Posted by scott_p_1
What about to poor shmuck who hits your SUV? You don't mind sending him to the ER? The problem isn't really when said econobox get's in an accident, it's when said econobox gets in an accident with an SUV.
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As as been pointed out by others, this isn't a very convincing argument to an SUV fan.
On the other hand, if it makes you feel any better, SUV owners are actually
more likely to die in single vehicle accidents than those who drive cars.
When you look at the statistics for all types of accidents combined, SUVs and cars offer fairly equivalent protection -- it's just that each is superior in different types of accidents.
However, SUVs waste gas and therefore contribute needlessly to global warming, and to our oil consumption that helps put our national security at risk, and that's a shame. Yes, some people need them, but most don't.
The only thing that will pry people out of SUVs is the price of gasoline, which is why I'd like to see gas taxes raised. Even George Bush's chief economist once called the benefits from higher gas taxes "the closest thing to an economic free lunch." Of course, there's no chance of that happening, especially with this administration, which believes that every problem can always be solved by cutting taxes.