Comments on Reforming the Automobile Fuel Economy Standards Program

The failure to develop effective fuel efficiency standards is a major contributor to our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. In an article titled, “Does America have an energy strategy?" the July 1996 issue of Consumer Reports noted, “Instead of developing a national strategy to conserve energy, the US has been backsliding. Americans today are driving more than ever –some 8,000 miles per driver in 1995, one-third more than in 1973. And more drivers are buying sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and light trucks, which get notably poor gas mileage. After rising steadily since the mid-1970s, the average fuel efficiency of passenger vehicles on America’s roads peaked at over 21 miles per gallon in 1991, and has edged down every year since.”