Economics at the Wheel : The Costs of Cars and Drivers

by Porter, Richard C.

• ISBN13: 9780125623612
• ISBN10: 0125623615
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-05-01
• Publisher: Academic Pr

Summary

Economics at the Wheel is about cars and driving, and all the problems that cars and drivers create for America. It explains actual government policy intended to reduce the damage cars and drivers do to us, and it explains why these government policies are almost all failures because they attack the wrong problem or attack it in the wrong way. The reader will come away with a much fuller understanding of air pollution, global warming, highway safety, auto insurance, gasoline taxation, rush-hour congestion, leaking underground storage tanks, and many other auto-related issues.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Glossary	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Appendix: External Costs and Policy	p. 5
The Economics of Driving
The Cost of Driving	p. 15
The Demand for Driving	p. 25
Appendix: Who Really Pays a Gasoline Tax?	p. 35
Energy and Air Pollution
Fuel Efficiency	p. 41
Air Pollution	p. 55
Appendix: Benefit--Cost Analysis of Automotive Emissions Controls	p. 70
Global Warming	p. 73
Highway Safety
An Overview of Highway Safety	p. 87
Appendix: The Value of Life	p. 94
Vehicle Safety	p. 99
Seat Belts and Air Bags	p. 109
Legal Liability and Insurance	p. 119
Alcohol	p. 129
Youth	p. 137
Speed and Highway Design	p. 147
Other Automotive Externalities
Congestion, Roads, and Parking	p. 155
Appendix: The Theory of Highway Congestion	p. 167
Water Pollution	p. 173
Potpourri	p. 181
Where Next?
Where Should We Go from Here?	p. 191
Where Can We Go from Here?	p. 201
Answers to Text Questions	p. 209
References	p. 229
Index	p. 249
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