What governments are doing about car bloat



With cars and trucks getting heavier and more powerful, some governments are taking measures to address this growing concern. ​​Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, France wants to “stop the excesses of carmakers, who are pushing people to buy ever bigger, more expensive, more raw-material-intensive, more polluting vehicles.” She has set up a referendum for Parisians to vote in February 2024 for parking-fee increases for SUVs and trucks. Washington, DC, is substantially increasing annual registration fees for heavier vehicles. At $500, the annual fee for a vehicle over 6,000 pounds, will be seven times more than for a smaller car. The fee for vehicles less than 3,500 pounds, $72, remains unchanged.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed AB 251, authorizing a study of the effects of vehicle weight on pedestrian and bicycle rider safety, and exploring the possibility of a passenger vehicle weight fee. In the European Union, Australia, China, Korea, and Japan, vehicles are tested for both the safety of people inside and the danger of vehicles to people on the street. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration tests for people inside of cars—crash dummy tests—but not a vehicle's threat to pedestrians and bicycle riders outside the vehicle. — Steve Price

Photo: Old versus new MINI Cooper which, despite its mini appellation, has an SUV model.

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