There were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005. The financial cost of these crashes is more than 230 Billion dollars. 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States — one death every 13 minutes.
http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html
Road traffic injuries are a major public health problem and a leading cause of
death, injury and disability around the world. Each year nearly 1.2 million people
die and millions more are injured or disabled as a result of road crashes, mostly in
the urban areas of developing countries. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause
of death globally for those between 10 and 24 years of age.
No, no, no, no, no!
It’s the idiot drivers who are the really, real problem, tweeting away on twitter, text messaging their friends, chatting away on their cell phones, or maybe watching a porn flick on their laptop. Recently a truck driver was convicted in the death of a woman he struck while driving his truck while also watching a porn movie on his laptop; didn’t see the woman’s stalled vehicle till too late.
Most people fail to understand that a vehicle’s driver must be antisocial while driving, don’t chit chat with passengers, don’t talk on the phone, just watch out for all those other idiot drivers.
For a few years, I biked from home to work and back every day in Southern California. Huntington Beach to Long Beach (15 miles). I had a decent road bike that was eventually stolen from the parking garage at my work. I loved it. But there are trade offs. Cleaning up and changing before going to my desk, dodging rocks and debris in the dark, flats when I’m late for work, etc. The ride home was fantastic.
I suppose the usefulness of any technology must be weighed against the propensity to stupid behavior from some individuals. You have to wonder how anyone lives long enough to get this good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4IU_WYlXvs&p=4F0F8C89375D39F5&playnext=1&index=41
We should be innovative to solve the pollution issues of congested areas. But the mobility of automobiles is incredibly liberating. For trips under 300 miles, it’s simpler than flying. For weekend getaways for the family, it’s cheap transportation to a mountain lake or beach. I can take the train (in about 4 segments) from home to work, but need to manage the transfers on both ends. 3 hrs or so. But I can drive it in 1 hr. This grants me a lifestyle I could never afford living closer to the metropolis.
I would love to have a Gem (electric auto) or something similar. But to accommodate the vehicle would require a complete re-arrangement of my life. Maybe in retirement.
Many accidents are caused from being in a hurry. So slow down. You’ll get there 3 minutes later. That’s ok.