Law Of Unintended Consequences Strikes Again
Written by Brian Garst, Posted in Energy and the Environment
A study by San Francisco group Quality Planning finds that “owners of hybrid vehicles drive as much as 25 percent more miles than owners of non-hybrids.”
They also get more tickets (which follows from driving more miles), are more accident prone, and have higher insurance premiums.
It’s not clear from the description whether or not their was an attempt to control for a possible selection bias in the study. For instance, the demographics of people inclined to buy hybrids might differ in key characteristics related to driving from the population as a whole.
However, it’s highly unlikely that such a bias, if it exists, could explain a 25% increase. Basic economics offers a better explanation: when something costs less, people will consume more of it.
Hat tip: The Car Connection (via The Locker Room)
I serve as Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a non-profit think tank dedicated to preserving tax competition and free markets. This site features my personal views, which are not reflective of CF&P.