A contribution to the debate on fuel price increases: Some possible safety implications

Fuel pricing and vehicle taxation have emerged as important elements of UK strategies to deal with road vehicle environmental impacts. The focus here is on some of the safety issues arising from policies designed to increase the cost of car use. Discussion centres on safety implications of downsizing as a response to increased costs, in order to contribute to the greater debate. The role of the car is rightly being debated, and the assessment of the many measures being proposed for taming the cost is an urgent research challenge.