Smog Rules for Sport Utility Vehicles

Thanks for the Dec. 11 editorial supporting the movement to have sport utility vehicles adhere to the same emission standards as automobiles. It’s about time this loophole was closed. Please continue your coverage of the pernicious nature of the SUV fad. Underemphasized in reports to date is the “natural history” that these vehicles will follow over their lifetimes: gradual disrepair--and probable increasing emissions--as they move through second, third and fourth owners.

We will be living with the consequences of the imaginary freedom SUVs bring for a long, long time to come.

KEVIN PATRICK

Del Mar

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SUVs are four times as likely to kill the occupants of a normal passenger vehicle than the other way around in a collision between the two. They block the view of the road ahead and their headlights beam through the rear windows of our cars as their often young and inexperienced drivers routinely exceed posted speed limits. They guzzle lots more gas per mile on average than passenger cars. And now we learn how much free license they have to pollute, adding to greenhouse gases and global warming. Isn’t it time they be regulated for what they are: overpriced, environmentally destructive, antisocial killing machines?

STEVE O. MARZICOLA

Santa Barbara

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Ask any firefighter or paramedic why he drives a truck, or why his wife drives the kids in a suburban, and you will be told it is a safer vehicle. Most fatal traffic collisions are a result of head-ons, side impacts and ejections from the vehicle because seat belts weren’t worn. The higher the speeds that are involved, the greater the probabilities of a fatality.

Big car versus small car? Big car invariably wins. There is a direct relationship between the size of the vehicle and the injuries incurred. In short, pay for it at the gas pump, or pay for it at the emergency room.

KELLY LYNN

Firefighter/paramedic

Ventura

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The rationale for exempting sport utility vehicles was that they were used in businesses. Since many of the vehicles don’t fall into the category of business equipment, slap a fuel consumption tax on them. Then allow owners who legitimately depreciate the cost of the vehicles on their tax forms to deduct the tax.

The auto companies are to blame for encouraging misuse of these vehicles. As for their lament about not having enough time to re-engineer SUVs, they managed to get them on the road fairly quickly.

SAMUEL RUSSELL ADAMS

Los Angeles

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If the Air Resources Board intends to subject the owners of light trucks, minivans and most sport utility vehicles to the same strict smog standards as passenger cars, it would be only fair to expect a reduction in DMV registration fees for those same vehicles, from current commercial rates to lower passenger levies.

JAMES BRIDGE

Buena Park