Title
Conflicting Objectives in Regulating the Automobile
Date of Original Version
5-1981
Type
Article
Published In
Science , New Series, Vol. 212, No. 4497 (May 22, 1981), pp. 893-899
Abstract or Table of Contents
Federal regulation of automobile safety, emissions, and fuel economy is contradictory. Safety equipment and emissions control reduce fuel economy; reducing the size of automobiles is estimated to increase fatalities by 1400 a year and significantly increase serious injuries. These secondary impacts of regulation roughly double the estimated costs of achieving the individual goals. In formulating regulations, these contradictions must be taken into account, along with the effects on the price of the vehicle and its attractiveness to buyers.