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Low-mileage life-saver
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Published: May 28, 2009
On Feb. 28 my wife was involved in a head-on collision. Both cars were mid-size American-made sedans, both of which average around 21 mpg. Each car was a total loss.
If she had been driving a car that conforms to the new fuel-economy standards introduced by President Barack Obama, the results of the accident would have been completely different. As it was, both my wife and the driver of the other vehicle received minor injuries. The cars took the majority of the impact and absorbed the energy of the crash.
The smaller, lighter cars that will have to be built to meet the new standards will not be able to protect the occupants as well as the cars we have now. If my wife had been driving a smart car or a Prius, I would have been making funeral arrangements. Instead all I had to worry about was replacing her car.
Is the sacrifice of human lives worth the compromise of better fuel mileage? That is the question you need to ask yourself. I know what my answer is.
KEN REILLY
Plant City
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