For years, auto companies have argued that making cars morefuel-efficient also meant making them smaller and more dangerous topassengers. But a new study by the General Accounting Office saysthat’s no longer true. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Matt ShaferPowell reports:
Transcript
For years, auto companies have argued that making cars more fuel-efficient also meant making
them smaller and more dangerous to passengers. But a new study by the General Accounting
Office says that’s no longer true. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Matt Shafer Powell
Reports.
The recently released GAO report says such technologies as lean-burn engines make it easier to
produce more efficient cars without making them smaller. But a researcher who contributed to
the study says if the government were to increase mileage standards, it could still create the
temptation to cut corners on safety. David Greene says that’s why the government will need to be
vigilant.
“It’s possible that if you went about this the wrong way, it could be harmful to safety, but it’s not
necessary to degrade safety in order to improve fuel economy.”
Meanwhile, some environmental groups are hoping these findings will clear the way for stricter
government mileage regulations. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Matt Shafer
Powell.