Declarations

Obama on Climate, Jobs

“My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.”

—A Reuters story that ran on Nov. 19 credits President-elect Barack Obama with speaking out early about his plans for the climate and jobs. Obama said that the United States would “engage vigorously” in climate change talks when he is president, and he pledged to work to reduce emissions sharply by 2020, despite the financial crisis. The Democratic president-elect, who regularly criticized the Bush administration’s attitude toward global warming, reiterated his plans to start a “cap and trade” system that limits carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from big industries. “We will establish strong annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them by an additional 80 percent by 2050,” he said in a video address to a global warming summit in California attended by U.S. governors and representatives from other nations.

Michigan No Fault

“Michigan is fortunate to have a healthy auto insurance market where competition, safer cars and company fraud fighting efforts have resulted in lower costs for policyholders.”

—Pete Kuhnmuench, executive director of the Insurance Institute of Michigan, comments on the state of the auto insurance industry after a new report was released. Michigan’s average auto insurance premiums decreased in 2006, compared to 2005, a study released by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows. For the two-year period 2004-6, Michigan average premiums declined 6 percent. Michigan drivers on average spent $1,067 in 2006 on auto insurance, according to the report that gathered data from the state’s insurance departments. In 2005, the average auto insurance premium in Michigan was $1,088.

Michigan premiums rank 12th in the nation, however, the benefits policyholders receive under the no-fault policy in Michigan far outpace benefits available in any other state. Michigan is the only state that mandates insurance companies provide unlimited, lifetime medical benefits to motorists injured in auto accidents.

Speeders Confess

“People really don’t respect speed limits like they did in the past.”

—Civil Engineer Fred Mannering, whose research is being published in the journal Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior, comments on the results of the research conducted at Purdue. Mannering’s study of 988 drivers in the county where Purdue University is located found few people respect speed limits and feel as though they’re still driving safely even when they exceed the legal standards. More than a third of drivers in Tippecanoe County, Ind., believe driving 20 mph over the speed limit is OK, and the rest have no qualms going 5 to 10 mph over the limit, the Purdue researcher has found.

Topics Auto Michigan Climate Change