"Bob Noel" wrote in message
...

a real challenge is to distinquish between the "I'll buy the biggest
thing I can because I can" people and the folks who are need the capacity
as well as the safety.


You can't. It's a tough problem, which is why there is talk along the lines
of:
Classifying SUVs and other trucks designed to carry passengers as
passenger vehicles.
Legislating improved fuel economy.
Increasing usage taxes to more closely match cost of highways and
environmental effects.
Improving safety of smaller vehicles through improved engineering of
large and small vehicles.
Improving safety of SUVs through active suspension systems (eg,
Bose).
Restructuring insurance to account for changed risk profiles.
Black boxes in all new vehicles.
Alternate fuel (eg, hydrogen, electric) motive systems and
infrastructure.
Improvement of some, and abandonment of other, mass transit systems.

I'm sure there's more, that's just a quick list. Personally I favor a
market based system since it requires the least government intervention to
run. Under such a system the attempt is made to make the purchase and usage
of any vehicle very accurately match the full costs to society of such
purchase and use. The base cost may have to include the legally mandated
minimum insurance requirement, which should be reduced to decrease the
insulation provided to irresponsible drivers. What is assumed to be a
"right" to drive should probably move more toward more of a priviledge, to
be earned, and respected.