LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD

Five major factors that will impact the car of tomorrow are energy, environment, safety, mobility and cost. If it is considered appropriate to adopt more stringent measures to control gasoline consumption, a number of policies could be considered: decontrol of prices, gasoline taxes, market allocation, and consumer rationing. Public attitudes suggest that stringent mandatory conservation policies, a major increase in gasoline prices, or both will be necessary in order to significantly reduce automobile petroleum consumption. It is noted that many proposed safety improvements cannot be justified on a cost-benefit basis. It is also noted that there is the lack of a specific national goal related to improvements in highway safety and a national commitment to meeting this goal. Comments are made on the quest for mobility and on the special needs of the handicapped, the elderly, and the poor. It is pointed out that policies to ameliorate this impact should include incentives to reduce the consumer costs of operation, maintenance, and repair such as more inclusive warrantly provisions, higher standards for maintenance and repair work and effective price controls.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00189235
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5997
• Authors:
  • Maxwell, R L
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 97-98
• Serial:
  • IEEE Spectrum
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • ISSN: 0018-9235

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conservation; Costs; Energy; Environment; Fuel consumption; Gasoline; Highway safety; Mobility; Prices; Rationing; Taxation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Environment; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167621
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 27 1977 12:00AM