Raise federal gasoline tax

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The North American International Auto Show is underway in Detroit, and the industry has ample reason to feel festive. New-vehicle sales in the U.S. set a record in 2015 – 17.5 million – and analysts predict an even better year in 2016.

The show features high-dollar luxury vehicles as well as new and redesigned crossovers. But amid the good cheer, there is concern about other trends.

As gasoline prices have declined, consumers again are embracing sport-utility vehicles and light trucks over small and mid-sized cars. Overall fuel efficiency, which had improved since the Great Recession began, is falling again.

At the same time, automakers are moving production of unprofitable small cars from the United States to Mexico. This is troubling as growing fuel consumption threatens to aggravate climate change.

Relying on lighter-weight materials and advanced technologies can promote fuel efficiency. Auto executives insist that they are building the products their customers want and that the dictates of the market should be allowed to prevail.

While gas prices remain low, this would be the time for Congress to raise the federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, unchanged for 23 years. Such an increase not only would discourage wasteful fuel consumption, it also would provide badly needed revenue for highway repair.