REGULATING THE AUTOMOBILE

Five analyses aimed at clarifying the nature of the American system of automotive regulation, its impact, and the reasons for its structure, are presented in this report. (1) A comparative analysis of safety, fuel economy, and emissions regulation yields insights into each concerning the effects of the different types of regulatory standards on manufacturers' incentives for equipment durability and for development of innovative technology. (2) The nature and extent of uncertainty in automotive emissions control is examined for four key variables: prediction of vehicle emissions, prediction of ambient air quality, measurement of emissions, and measurement of air quality. (3) The impact of the fleet average fuel economy standards on pricing and structure of the automotive industry are examined in a microeconomic analysis. (4) The political choice between standards and taxes for controlling automotive emissions is explored. (5) The particular political history of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970 is examined to understand the creation of the unusual structure of the American automotive emissions regulatory system.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Energy Laboratory, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139

  National Science Foundation

  Division of Policy Research and Analysis, 1800 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20550
• Authors:
  • Heywood, J B
  • Jacoby, H D
  • Linden, L H
  • Margolis, H
  • Iverach, D
• Publication Date: 1977-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 288 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Air quality management; Automobile industry; Automobiles; Exhaust gases; Federal government; Forecasting; Fuel consumption; Industries; Law enforcement; Manufacturing; Measurement; Prices; Regulations; Safety; Standards; Taxation
• Old TRIS Terms: Exhaust emission control
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Energy; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00175799
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: MIT-EL-77-007, NSF-PRA-7600284-1-8
• Contract Numbers: NSF-OEP76-00284
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 28 1978 12:00AM