First Social Security, Now Cars?

United States-

New mandates have been set for the automobile industry. All new cars manufactured must now carry a maximum weight warning label. This will also allow for manufacturer liability to be waived in the event of an accident to drivers and passengers exceeding weight limits.

The problem is…the average weight in America is over 164 lbs. for adult women and over 191 lbs. for men, while the majority of 5 passenger cars max out at 850 lb. limits. So five average guys are going to overload a car this size by over 105 lbs. Yipes!

As a teenager we used to regularly stuff 8 or 9 deep in my K car, or my friend’s Diplomat on the way to a party or the beach. I feel for the younger generation that will have to think twice before enjoying that luxury.

As a nation we are growing in the wrong direction. According to a CDC press release, “adult men and women are roughly an inch taller than they were in 1960, but are nearly 25 pounds heavier.”


Maybe researchers should halt their study of the human growth hormone and try to find a “human shrinkage hormone”? Actually, although Americans have grown sideways in the last 4 decades, American life expectancy is on the rise. With an average life expectancy of 78, it’s not just the Social Security Administration that needs to worry about outgrowth. Will wheelchair, cane, and walker manufactures need to start creating sturdier equipment as well?

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