Nowadays, it is hardly possible to imagine our lives without cars. Going to work, shopping, visiting friends – everything seems much easier when you have one. After all, even if you don’t, you can always get an Uber. Cars have become such an essential part of the modern lifestyle that we rarely pay attention to the numerous disadvantages of this mode of transport. Occasionally, we can complain to our friends about the traffic jam in the city center or the insurance premium is too expensive. Nevertheless, the truth is that most people love their cars so much that they would probably rather sell a kidney than get rid of their car.
Most people would not dare come close to a mass murderer. However, they have no problem getting in a car every day. It doesn’t make much sense, considering the fact cars kill more than a hundred people daily, a number that the most prolific serial killer could only dream of (U.S. Department of Transport 2). One might argue that rather than banning cars, we should focus on making them safer and enforcing stricter driving rules. In a perfect world, this advice could work just fine. However, the reality is different, and people will always find a way to break the laws or make fatal driving mistakes. Overall, if cars had never been invented, several million lives only in the US would have been saved. At this point, it might be worth considering whether convenience is more important for us than human lives.
Most cars worldwide use fossil fuels, and even though one can dream, we are still far away from the day when Tesla takes over the world. Meanwhile, cars pollute the air, fill our lungs with particulate matter, and speed up global warming. Tesla might even not get a chance to take over the car industry, as the rising sea levels will soon turn Palo Alto into an attractive diving spot. Public health and environmental balance are on one side of the scale, while cars are on the other. The choice does not seem too difficult.
If these arguments are not enough, let’s try imagining a world without cars. The US has one of the highest numbers of vehicles per capita in the world (U.S. Department of Energy). The US also happens to be one of the leaders in a less prestigious ranking of the countries with the highest obesity rates among adults (Central Intelligence Agency). Obesity is well-known for leading to poor health outcomes and the development of cardiovascular diseases, in particular. Getting rid of cars could be an important step in promoting a healthy lifestyle. For example, instead of spending hours in traffic jams, people could start using bicycles to get to work or school. Bicycles, unlike cars, do not pollute the air and have a positive impact on human health.
It is difficult to deny the fact that cars are comfortable (at least most of them) and convenient. However, the price we pay for convenience might be too high. In a nutshell, cars represent the most dangerous mode of transport on the planet, ruining our health and environment. Getting rid of all cars might sound like a very ambitious idea; however, such a policy could prove beneficial to society and the environment.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Obesity – Adult Prevalence Rate. Central Intelligence Agency, 2016.
U.S. Department of Transport. Quick Facts 2016. National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, 2017.
U.S. Department of Energy. Fact #962: January 30, 2017 Vehicles per Capita: Other Regions/Countries Compared to the United States. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2017.