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- <text id=91TT2512>
- <title>
- Nov. 11, 1991: American Notes:Controversies
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
- Nov. 11, 1991 Somebody's Watching
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- NATION, Page 53
- American Notes
- CONTROVERSIES
- Too Small To Be Safe?
- </hdr><body>
- <p> Common sense--and the laws of physics--dictate that a
- large automobile will provide greater protection from injury in
- an accident than a smaller one. A crash test conducted by the
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a 3,900-lb.
- Ford Crown Victoria and a 1,900-lb. Subaru confirmed that logic.
- But Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, claims that
- smaller cars are nearly as safe when they are equipped with air
- bags and that tests proving this were ignored by the Federal
- Government. The group accuses the government of playing politics
- with the test results in order to defeat a Senate measure that
- would require all cars to improve the fleet average to 40 m.p.g.
- by the year 2000--a goal that would force the auto companies
- to make smaller cars. A car industry spokesman, however,
- counters that the new standards will force the consumer into
- fewer choices and a greater risk of serious injury.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
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