Economic Externalities of Relative Accident Rates Between SUV vs. Passenger Cars Phase I

摘要

The sport utility Vehicle (SUV) is a combination of a light pick up chassis of a passenger car (PC) with the space of a minivan. SUVs have been present in the American market since the 1980's but it wasn't until the 1990s that they became popular among consumers. With the growing popularity of the SUV, several issues have been raised. In 2003, Dr. Jeffery Runge, head of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), stated that due to the high roll over rate, this type of vehicle is very dangerous. In addition to the roll over rate, issues like road incompatibility and high gas consumption have also become concerns. Perhaps the biggest anxiety is driver behavior. The driver may have a sense of false security in a bigger vehicle, and therefore take more risks while driving, which in turn could cause more accidents.