The Fatal Cost of Heavier Vehicles

America’s cars keep getting bigger—and so does the danger. In this episode, we dive into the hidden cost of the nation’s SUV obsession: heavier vehicles may protect the people inside, but they make the roads far deadlier for everyone else. Drawing on millions of crash reports, researchers say the heaviest cars disproportionately cause “partner-car deaths,” turning safety into a zero-sum game. Yet regulators remain focused only on the occupants of the tested vehicle, while automakers exploit loopholes and consumer demand keeps pushing weights higher—especially with bulky electric models. The result is a runaway automotive arms race. So what will it take to stop cars from getting heavier, and the rest of us from paying the price?https://www.economist.com/interactive/united-states/2024/08/31/americans-love-affair-with-big-cars-is-killing-them