The SUV Rollover Problem: A Solution

The Chronicle reported the other day that according to an insurance industry group, automakers could pretty much eliminate rollover accidents if they adopted a computerized stability system already in use in some models. This is a great example of good old American know-how solving problems caused by good-old American know-how, which is after all what drives our economy. (Or as President Hoover put it: "The business of America is cleaning up the messes left by other businesses." Or something like that.)

But a suggestion by Kvatch that people could avoid rollovers by simply not driving so fast got me thinking, and I have an even more elegant solution.

In California (and probably in other states), we already have a two-tier speed limit on most of our freeways: for passenger vehicles it's X, and for trucks it's X-10. Now, the reason SUVs aren't penalized for crappy gasoline mileage is because they're technically 'light trucks'.

Yeah, you see where I'm going with this.

If they get the benefit of being 'trucks', why not subject them to truck speed limits? It makes sense from a safety perspective: the vehicles most prone to rollovers should have to drive more slowly than other vehicles. It makes sense from a fuel standard perspective: think of how their fuel economy will improve if they have to drive 55. It doesn't penalize the suffering auto industry, and it doesn't cost the UAW any jobs.

I think it's a winner. All we have to do now is get states to start making it the law.

[That's all, folks]