As the government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards have increased over the years, the roads have become, on the margin, more unsafe than they otherwise would have been. Combined with the huge error of airbag mandates, and the failure of the government's roads to protect driver safety, government deserves much of the blame for highway deaths. But there's another, more perplexing, point operating here. The Department of Transportation seems to think that safety, applied in a propagandistic way in this one narrow area, is all that matters, and that consumers have no legitimate demand for image, comfort, or simply fashion. Making such choices is the very essence of freedom.
Some people prefer speed, while others put a premium on safety.
Some prefer space and size and are willing to pay the price in lower gas mileage. As usual, all the excuses about safety, the environment, and the rest, are just excuses for control. As the battle over the future of the SUV heats up, you can do your part by purchasing one immediately and driving it ostentatiously. Think of it as a form of civil disobedience.