Posted On: September 4, 2008, 3:29 pm CDT

Posted By: Kristine

I read the article regarding insurance costs associated with lighter private passenger vehicles than with hearvier vehicles. With the rising cost of gas prices and no reflief in site of prices going down, there is no choice for Americans to opt for smaller, lighter vehicles which provide better gas mileage (and should have been on the roadways long before the energy crisis!). I am not sure if the data derived from this report would support the need for higher insurance rates. Since more people will be utelizing smaller vehicles and, assuming the over the road exposure would be reduced to save on gas, I think data/statistics should be drived for a period in the future to make a more accurate determination of injuries from lighter vehicles. Also, it is common sense damage and injury to person(s) in an SUV or truck would typically be less if they were in an accident with a car, especially a lighter car. Was data collected regarding damage and injury to similar vehicles? I don't think it is fair to prematurely raise rates for lightweight vehicles. With less and less SUVs and trucks to be on the roadways, it may very well be damage and injury will not be as severe to lightweight vehicles colliding. Send a message out for people to encourage reduced rates for accident-free "arrive alive" policies - I'd rather be late than dead!!