LETTERS

Automotive Industries, June, 2000

The trial lawyers and class-action attorneys will love the auto industry, once telematics becomes a standard feature in tomorrow's vehicles ("Death By Distraction," May 2000, p.30). Sorry, but to operate cars and trucks safely, you must pay attention. Just ask Morgan Lee Pena's survivors.

Janet Simons Newark, Delaware via email

I have one question related to the "What the Cops See" sidebar of your May issue cover story (p. 36): What could be considered sane about a 120 mph velocity on the left shoulder of a gridlocked 1-696? People do step out of their vehicles to peer ahead as well as pull onto the shoulder themselves.

Brent L. Birch

Senior Editor Gerry Kobe, replies: Brent, take a look at the rollover photo on that same page. What you don't see in that picture, is the driver whose life was saved as a result of the quick response by the Michigan State Police. I was in the car and saw it myself These troopers deserve to be congratulated for doing a tough job that we often take for granted.

1979 All Over Again

Your April Editiorial (p. 7) is interesting and well taken. What I must comment on is the price of gasoline in the U.S.A. versus the price in many other countries. The Europeans pay the same price for crude oil as the we do. Their refineries are as as efficient as ours. Their distribution costs are similar. What is the difference?

Taxes! In many of these countries, gasoline tax is the primary method used to finance their socialized medical care available to all their citizens for free, or nearly so. Since the U.S. Government has no interest in the health of its citizens, we are left to shift for ourselves. Health care for someone like myself (I am 62 years old) is about $800 per month, if I can get it at all. That's $9,600 per year.

At $2.00 per gallon, I can buy 4,800 gallons of gas a year for that money. At 10 mpg, that is 48,000 miles per year, considerably more than most of us drive. The concept that we are not carrying our "full share" of the cost of gasoline, or that American citizens are getting away with something by paying a lower price for gasoline is hogwash!

G. William Hurley Catlett, VA

The Catalyst Menace

Lindsay Brooke's friends at the EPA have been on a low-sulfur fuel crusade, which to date has cost America half of its available refinery capacity (Editorial, April 2000). It takes a huge investment to install sulfur removing devices in a refinery, that may or may not make economic sense. Reduced domestic capacity means that large price fluctuations will occur with an annual cycle basis. We will no longer be able to accept foreign gasoline because it will have too much sulfur (they didn't invest in the sulfur-reducing devices), so supply will not be able to meet demand, driving up fuel prices.

There are more EPA crusades on the way. I don't remember being asked if I agree, or want it, or voted for, low, lower, lowest sulfur fuel.

Why not do some research and write interesting stories about things like how the EPA is crushing America's refineries. Or how the EPA is actually creating pollution with its mandated catalytic converters, which spew tons of cyanide gas into the air each year. But, then you might have to do some work, and with your salary your time is better spent in Vegas or on the green.

Monty via email

Thanks for the story tip, Monty. I always suspected this catalyst thing was an EPA plot to kill us all. But you're barking up the wrong tree. If you want to talk to a high-salaried magazine editor who willingly supports the oil companies, call Wards AutoWorld. Their guy drives a new M-Class Mercedes. -- Lindsay Brooke

The High Cost of Hybrids

The introduction of hybrid-electric vehicles into mainstream autodom leaves me wondering what kind of difficulty and costs consumers will encounter early on, after they purchase one of these revolutionary vehicles.

Obviously, the availability of mechanics who are knowledgable enough to work on these vehicles will be limited. Coupled with the conceivably higher parts cost, this could spell reduced marketability, even though the general public might have a strong desire to own one.

Regardless of how great these vehicles are supposed to be, the bottom line is to sell in high volume, they'll have to be affordable to buy and maintain.

James M. Georges, Jr. Highland, IL.