The energy bill signed into law by Pres. George W. Bush may be a significant victory for environmentalists—mandating that auto manufacturers increase average mileage of cars, SUVs, and light trucks to 35 mpg by 2020

The energy bill signed into law by Pres. George W. Bush may be a significant victory for environmentalists--mandating that auto manufacturers increase average mileage of cars, SUVs, and light trucks to 35 mpg by 2020--but the new "standards will make cars ... more dangerous and will cause many more traffic fatalities," argues Keith Lockitch, resident fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute, Irvine, Calif.

"Compelling automakers to achieve higher mileage forces them to ... make vehicles lighter and smaller--but these vehicles are much more dangerous in an accident. Because the car absorbs less of the crash impact, the passengers absorb it instead.... These vehicles will still be sharing the road with buses, delivery trucks, and massive 18-wheel tractor-trailers."

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