Mileage Standards Could Kill More Americans than Iraq War

CNSNews.com is reporting:

The Obama administration’s proposed mileage standards that will be announced today may kill more Americans at a faster rate than the Iraq War — his signature issue in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Obama’s standards will require automakers to meet a 35 miles-per-gallon standard by 2016 — four years earlier than the same standard imposed by the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007.

As discussed in my new book “Green Hell,” the only way for carmakers to meet these standards is to make smaller, lighter and deadlier cars.

The National Academy of Sciences has linked mileage standards with about 2,000 deaths per year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that every 100-pound reduction in the weight of small cars increases annual traffic fatalities by as much as 715.

In contrast in the more than six years since the Iraq war began, there have been 4,296 deaths among American military personnel.

And what will be gained by the new mileage standards?

The Natural Resources Defense Council said that the 35 MPG standard would save about one million gallons of gas per day. So how does that savings balance against the 2,000 fatalities per year that the National Academy of Sciences says are caused by those same lighter cars?

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Obama tries to save Detroit by forcing them to build cars Americans don't want

The Obama administration is set to announce tough standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 for new cars and trucks. These standards will force automakers to aggressively pursue electric and hybrid vehicles. Obama thinks he can save Detroit by forcing them to build cars Americans don't want. The biggest selling vehicle in the US is the Ford F150 truck. Americans love bigger vehicles and SUV's for the safety, power, styling and convenience they offer. Sales of hybrid vehicles rose dramatically last spring, but they can only be supported with gas prices in the $4~$5 range. You had to wait to buy a hybrid vehicle last May. Now, sales have dropped by almost two thirds and there is an eighty day dealer supply. Electric cars have never been practical for most Americans due to the longer distances we drive. Batteries don't have the range. From Freep.com:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will announce Tuesday a breakthrough compromise to set tough standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 for new cars and trucks in return for California backing off its push for more stringent rules on automakers. Advertisement The rules could radically reshape the U.S. automotive industry by forcing automakers to push higher levels of technology such as hybrid-electric drives into vehicles faster than once planned. The deal fulfills Obama’s campaign promise to push Detroit and other automakers toward more fuel-stingy vehicles, but will also sharply raise the industry's costs for meeting regulations. Under the pact, new federal rules would increase current mileage standards 5% annually to 39 m.p.g. for cars and 30 m.p.g. for light trucks in model year 2016, said a senior administration official. Current standards require new cars to average 27.5 m.p.g. and new trucks to get 23.1 m.p.g.