The Problem With Cafe Standards

There is a big push for Cafe Standards that would increase fuel efficiency to a minimum of 35 miles per gallon.  It is a nice idea until you think of the sacrifice in safety that would be required in order to make vehicles light enough to achieve those fuel savings.  Light weight plastic cars can never stand up to the rigors of a major accident.  I swear by good old fashioned Fords and Chevys.  Heavy, solid metal, and safe.  Sunday morning I hit an Angus bull in South Dakota at 65 miles an hour in a 2000 Ford F-150.  The truck slid for almost an 1/8th of a mile on the left side, rolled to the roof, slid still more, then rolled twice before coming to a stop in the ditch.  When it was over, two adults, a 17 year old girl and a 10 year old girl got out with just minor cuts and bruises.  A 13 month old baby was taken out of her carseat with no injuries at all.  If we had been in the “Great and Mighty” Toyota Prius, we would have gotten alot better fuel economy, at least 27miles per gallon, compared to 22 in the Ford.  But we wouldn’t have gotten out with anything less than a pine box.  Cafe Standards may safe fuel, but they will get people killed.  If the enviromentalists are willing to kill people, I might suggest they start with themselves and let those of us that survive worry about fuel.