If a single potential car buyer opts to buy a motorcycle because cars are now too expensive for her, and if she dies or is injured in a motorcycle accident, should we blame regulators?The North American auto industry is heavily regulated. Fuel efficiency is, of course, regulated (by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States and by Transport Canada in Canada), as are tailpipe emissions. But even more significant are the safety regulations to which the modern North American vehicle is subject. Safety standards cover everything from the design of seat belts to the performance of braking systems, the presence and functioning of air bags, and the ability of front and rear bumpers to survive low-speed collisions. All of these things have made the cars driven by North Americans (and Europeans) vastly safer—both under “normal” driving conditions and during emergencies—than they were, say, fifty years ago.