Changing car culture will benefit our health and the planet
We need to rethink Americans’ love of cars and redesign our cities to reduce auto pollution
Anthropologist Daniel Miller observes that aliens visiting Earth are likely to believe that four-wheeled creatures are moving the planet. These rulers, he points out, are “served by a large number of slaves who walk on their feet and spend their lives serving them.” He meant this as a joke, but the punchline was at the expense of American car culture. In the United States, the cost of car addiction continues to rise and far exceeds the average annual cost of owning a new car, which is $12,000.
From coast to coast, the cars and trucks we drive cause about 16% of greenhouse gas emissions. They cause significant air pollution, worsen rates of asthma and heart disease, and contribute to the national obesity epidemic. Approximately 69% of car trips in the United States are 2 miles or less. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 44 and are the most devastating part of the accident-related disturbances, with approximately 6 million reported annually. Since 2010, the number of pedestrians killed by cars has increased by 77%, to about 7,500 per year, and their share of total traffic fatalities is increasing.
America’s car culture, glorified in advertising, enforced by zoning laws, and enabled by taxpayer subsidies, has now become a choice that comes at too great a cost to ourselves and the environment. Now, a century after cars became central to our lives, we need to reimagine our world as a world free of cars.
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In the United States, the car-first ideal prevails. Our rural areas are divided by highways connecting suburban bedroom towns and sprawling cities, surrounded by parking lots, shopping malls, and soundproof walls. There are too many buildings, all built to serve the sacred car. Drive-through burger stands and banks line wide streets above former towns and neighborhoods.
Cars are the only means of transportation not only in rural areas but throughout the country. This dependence has created a nation of increasingly isolated drivers suffering from an epidemic of road violence. Sociologist John Earley of Lancaster University writes: and “It’s completely coercive,” locking the driver inside the car while promising freedom.
In the midst of the pandemic, when office commutes and rush hour traffic suddenly disappeared, young people turned to Uber for transportation, and “peak car” seemed to apply. A glimpse into a life not spent worshiping the automotive golden calf is that New York City is announcing congestion tolls starting at $15 (as well as in other cities). Cleveland is reviving its public squares by converting vacant office spaces into apartments, suburbs, and walkable areas. This trend follows a nationwide movement to add more bike lanes.
The shift to online shopping and home delivery has reduced the need for second cars, double garages, and large parking lots. In the 21st century, mobile phones have begun to replace driver’s licenses as an absolute form of identification, accelerating the cutting of automotive cords.
As with many of today’s problems, from sidewalks to subways, the solutions are obvious and right in front of us. But not only do they face inevitable obstruction from the overbearing highway fund lobby, but it’s somehow un-American for politicians and celebrities to spout nonsense about improving lives. However, the number of voters outweighs these voices and says they want to live a life without relying on cars.
We can start by amending our zoning laws to remove restrictions on low-density and single-family homes in new development and provide flexibility for retail and enough housing to support it. Rather than being an afterthought, sidewalks and bike paths should be given the same priority as roads in cities and suburbs. The unreasonable demands by mayors and employers for the masses to get behind the wheel and return to offices (where productivity is actually declining) must end. The average American’s commute to work is about 28 minutes of unpaid work each way. Instead, let’s reduce our cities’ dependence on cars.
More ambitious ideas could include discounts for cyclists using the train, free taxis for twice-weekly commuters, incentives for e-bikes, second cars and more. can provide other economic relief to avoid the congestion caused by (While we’re at it, the EPA should stop designating SUVs, minivans, and vans as low-mileage trucks. We call this an auto industry lobbying effort to keep more efficient vehicles out of dealerships. ) There is a different reality behind plans like New York City’s congestion pricing. Parking is too cheap in most parts of the country. Fluctuations in on-street parking pricing could mean people’s plans to drive during peak hours are reset to plans to take the subway or bus instead. .
Like any bad love affair, all of these ideas end “America’s supposed love affair with the automobile” without addressing the underlying addiction psychology that makes reaching for the keys so natural. It won’t help you. “Efforts to reduce attachment to cars are increasingly targeted by the auto industry and its lobbying organizations, as well as politicians who represent auto interests, because the auto industry believes it is dependent on continued car sales.” ” wrote transportation analyst Stefan Goessling. car psychology, “An already strong campaign is underway to strengthen the bond with the private car,” it warned.
Car ads blaring outdoor scenes only available to plutocrats with ranches in Montana, lit by gas, polluting the air while we live in heated seats, in-car cameras, and surround sound. Instead of living out your off-road fantasies, you are left alone in traffic.
In America, where advertising is important, public service announcements should send a positive message about throwing away your car keys. A Swedish ad campaign appeals to common sense and community spirit (those with the most ridiculously short commutes by car are given a bike) and urges people to pedal their way. I recommended commuting to work. The commercial celebrates short-distance bicycling and encourages people to take public transportation by reading and responding to emails instead of spending time behind the wheel worrying that a fender bender will raise their insurance premiums. It should be noted that time can be saved.
We need to call on the whole country to stop living a car-centered lifestyle and stand on their own two feet, or better yet, on their own two pedals. Otherwise, those aliens would have correctly decided who serves whom, cars or people.