Conspicuous Consumption
It could be argued that the CAFE standards helped give rise to the SUV. However, In July '03, the US Senate decided against boosting mileage standards for the popular sport utility vehicles.
Under current law, the US passenger car fleet must average 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg). However, SUVs, mini-vans and other light trucks, which currently account for more than half of all new vehicles sold, are to be required to average 22.2 mpg by 2007.
The Senate rejected 65 to 32 a proposal by Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, that would have required cars and SUVs to average 40 mpg by 2015.
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Many SUV owners have a false sense of security in the hulking vehicles. However, it is true that smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles usually get the worst of any collision with an SUV. At the same time, some experts have argued that the smaller, more agile vehicles are much less likely to be involved in a collision in the first place.
In any event, Americans are currently free to drive whatever kind of vehicle they choose. Some will burn as much gas as they like and can afford, while others will be motivated by a sense of personal responsibility to conserve resources, lead a modest lifestyle, and eschew conspicuous consumption.
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