Did you know that 3423 people were killed on the roads in the year 2001? And in the U.K. alone there are over 29,000,000 cars! 3Every year we slaughter a great percentage of the population just because of the car. Transport is the single biggest cause of air pollution, asthma is on the increase, people are allergic to the fumes which can lead to serious illnesses and that’s all before the people even go anywhere near a car!
1/84 children born today will die violently in a car crash and 1/6 will be seriously injured. And it’s not just the drivers who are in danger in fact it’s not even just the passengers. The number of pedestrians killed every year is almost as high. People don’t realise how fast they’re going, the corner was sharper than they thought the ground was slippery, the brakes aren’t quite as good in the rain or the child runs out from nowhere! The list of reasons is endless.
The environment suffers too for our need fro better transport! Forests are ripped up to make room for motorways and dual carriageways. The smoke and exhaust fume pollutes the air and many animals are killed on the roads every hour. Everyone seems to at times to overlook the poor animals that loose their homes or worse still are killed due to the car.
However where would we be without the god old car? Almost every family has at least one car and for many of us it is the only way possible for us to get to work or to school. It makes life handy knowing that if you need to get somewhere in a hurry you can just go. In emergencies where would we be without ambulances, police cars and fire engines?
The car isn’t all bad, its comfortable and you feel safer sitting in your own car than sitting on a train or bus with dozens of strangers. It’s also a fashion statement; many people feel they are judged on the kind of person they are by the kind of car they drive. In a way this is true. A car is something you can be proud of; you work and save hard to get one so you have the right to make us of it.
I feel if cars are used wisely and responsibly they are a very worthwhile investment. How else would you get all those carrier bags back from the sales every year, or get the groceries to your door? We simply couldn’t manage without our cars, and despite all the bad points many of us would be lost without them.
