[nateoearth]

Strict weight limits would be hugely beneficial for addressing environmental, safety, and infrastructure cost concerns.

A related--albeit more "out-there"--idea is to impose momentum limits in addition to speed limits based on vehicle weight classes. We have a crude version of this on highways, where speed limits for trucks are often lower than the limits for cars (e.g., 70mph for cars, 65mph for trucks).

But I really like the idea of setting different speed limits for different weight classes of vehicles. Driving a Toyota Corolla? Let's call it a Class A vehicle (2,000-2,999 lbs), with a highway speed limit of 70mph. Driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee? That would be Class C (4,000-4,999 lbs), with a speed limit of 50mph.

This would make roads a lot safer, and add an additional, non-monetary, tax on heavier vehicles.

Another big benefit of imposing weight limits on consumer vehicles is that the United States would have a fighting chance of becoming energy independent, even before accounting for the shift to renewables. So we can add improved national security to the list of reasons to pursue this common-sense policy.

[bryanmgreen]

There is an interesting study that has shown SUV drivers tend to be overconfident, likely due to the vehicle size and their driving position, and are less able to judge the speed and capabilities of their vehicles accurately.

[1] https://vehicledynamics.com/suvs-why-you-may-drive-fast/

[rascul]

> But I really like the idea of setting different speed limits for different weight classes of vehicles. Driving a Toyota Corolla? Let's call it a Class A vehicle (2,000-2,999 lbs), with a highway speed limit of 70mph. Driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee? That would be Class C (4,000-4,999 lbs), with a speed limit of 50mph.

This seems more dangerous, not less. Change a lane and all of a sudden you need to slam on your brakes because you didn't realize how much slower the other vehicle was going. Hopefully the person behind you can react quick enough. I see near accidents from this sort of thing fairly often with less of a speed difference.