ENERGY

Study Finds Little Risk in Fuel-Efficient Cars: Cars can be made to achieve significant fuel savings with little safety risk caused by shaving their weight and size, a research panel said. The report was commissioned by the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. The panel acknowledged that there likely would be a safety cost if cars are made smaller and lighter but added that “improved vehicle design and safety technology could offset the (safety) effects of weight reduction.”