Americans want legislation to guarantee 40mpg

Now, I can completely understand why people would want to get gas prices down and fuel efficiency up, but getting the government to make it a law is something different altogether. According to a recent survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, 78% of Americans want legislation that imposes a 40 miles per gallon standard for vehicles sold in the States. (I guess the other 22% would be the people who can’t go a day without busting around town in a Hummer.)

Moreover, nine out of ten surveyed expect gas prices to rise “in the near future”, and this is a big motivation for getting more fuel efficient cars. My take on the matter is that if you want a fuel efficient car, then go get one. Buy a Yaris, Prius, Smart car, whatever. Apparently, those polled agreed (at least somewhat), as 45% said that a temporary drop in gas prices would not encourage them to go back to big SUVs, preferring a “hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle” compared to six months ago.