permission of the Transportation Research Board . Title : To LDT or Not to LDT : An Assessment of the Principal Impacts of Light - Duty Trucks

Light-duty truck classification allows manufacturers and owners to avoid a host of passenger-car regulations, including gas-guzzler taxes, safety standards, and more stringent emissions and fueleconomy standards. This paper describes the distinct policies that govern light duty trucks and passenger cars, evaluates the emissions, safety, and fuel economy differences that have resulted, and investigates the household use differences across such vehicles. The result is that when comparing the average new pickup truck or sports utility vehicle to a passenger car, there appears to be an implicit subsidy of roughly $4,400, favoring the light-duty truck. When comparing minivans to passenger cars, this subsidy is estimated to be around $2,800. With more equitable vehicle regulations, it is likely that prices would more accurately reflect the true cost differences resulting from the use of these vehicles, causing light-duty trucks to lose some of their popularity and/or clean up their act.