Car Trouble

As we entered the 21st century, the world's motor vehicle population had already passed 600 million, and was still climbing [1]. However it is clear (at least to some of us) that this level of car use is already too high, and the trend must be reversed.

The human toll of car culture is staggering: Up to 1.2 million lives lost every year directly from road accidents, 50 million seriously injured [2], and millions more suffering from car related health problems such as air pollution and inactive lifestyles. The latter having contributed to epidemic levels of type II diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

The toll on the environment is equally unacceptable: 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions [3], acid rain, smog and vast areas of wilderness and farm land lost to road construction. Add to this several tonnes of un-recycled solid waste for every car [4], and the devastating environmental cost of our ever increasing demand for oil.

Car based urban planning has also degraded the quality of city life. As authorities grapple with the conflict for space between their human, and car populations the surrounding countryside is swallowed into characterless sprawl. The USA has now paved over an area equal to the state of Ohio [5]. Mobility and safety for those on foot or bicycle, and the physically disabled has deteriorated, whilst those in cars find themselves stuck in traffic gridlock. Developed cities with the highest levels of car ownership having the longest commuting times.

Yet despite all this people in many places remain enslaved by car culture. Talk is of mythical "clean cars", removing "bottlenecks" and "solving" traffic problems by adding yet more roads. Thereby increasing car dependence, and its impact.