Trading Safety for Fuel Efficiency

04/14/2009 - Law Firm Blog - Link to This Entry

Trading Safety for Fuel Efficiency

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released an eye opening report that consumers who buy microcars or minicars are sacrificing safety in head-on collisions with larger cars for fuel economy.

Small cars like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Smart Fortwo had previously met or exceeded minimum safety requirements for front impact protections when crashed tested into a barrier but no longer meet these safety standards when tested into a larger vehicle. Even with advanced technology such as airbags, seatbelts, and stability control included in the minicars, larger vehicles fare much better.

The economy, fluctuating gas prices and the desire to “go green” has lead consumers to downsize vehicle weight and vehicle size when buying small vehicles. What many consumers do not realize is that while these cars may be more economical, the risk of serious injury or a fatality is greatly increased in a collision.

For more than three decades I have been in the vanguard of safety litigation against automobile manufacturers, insurance companies, and drug companies who have needlessly, and too often recklessly, caused injury and death.

These new crash test results are deeply disturbing. It is imperative that automobile manufactures produce safe cars so that consumers do not have to trade safety for fuel economy. As consumers demand fuel economy, manufacturers must not compromise consumer safety.

Please share your thoughts with me by contacting me at 561-842-2820, or emailing me at edricci@edriccilaw.com.