Car Ownership Should Be Rare
A car enthusiast’s perspective on the current state of transportation and a glimpse into a better future.
In 1999, I became a licensed driver, and since then I’ve described driving as one of my greatest sources of joy, but I’ve been wrong about that.
By definition, to drive means: “to operate the mechanism and controls and direct the course of (a vehicle).” This all-encompassing description lumps together tasks like commuting, running errands, or sitting in stop-and-go traffic, with the fun side of driving for pleasure, recreation, or enjoyment. As a lifelong car enthusiast, and someone who loves the fun side of driving, I think it’s time for it to become an elective or recreational travel option in America, rather than a necessity.
A lot has changed in the 24 years I’ve been driving. The size and weight of vehicles has increased as the attention span of drivers has decreased. Modern electric cars can accelerate quicker on public streets than even Formula 1 cars are capable of. We’ve added technology to cars in an attempt to improve their safety — creating a false sense of security for the often distracted driver behind the wheel — and we’ve seen an increase in the number of deaths on American roads since these features have become mandatory on new cars.
We’ve also reached a point where smartphones are in the hands of nearly every adult, which results in constant availability for access from friends, family, coworkers, and bosses. Addiction to these devices is becoming widely known, with many unable to go more than a few minutes before returning to the almighty screen, even while driving. This level of distraction and the risks it presents would be enough to explain why driving shouldn’t be our default mode of transportation anymore, but there’s more.
The environmental impact of cars on our planet can’t be disputed, and efforts to reduce their use of fossil fuels and to limit exhaust emissions has led to a massive growth in interest for electric vehicles. And while EVs cut down on emissions, there are other ways they don’t move us forward as promised. Many are charged using electricity generated from non-renewable and polluting resources like coal and natural gas, and consumer expectations of long-ranges of 300 miles or more drives the size and weight of batteries up. Large batteries require tons of rare metals to be mined, shipped around the world, and then installed in vehicles often carrying only one person who will rarely use even 15% of its capacity in a single day.
Ownership costs have increased in this time as well. All the added safety equipment, technology, comforts and conveniences, as well as the constantly growing size of vehicles has increased new car prices; while fuel, insurance, maintenance, tires, taxes, and other recurring expenses connected to car ownership have crept up, too. Americans buying new cars spend, on average, almost $11,000 a year for the personal mode of transportation that our infrastructure requires of us. Over $200 Billion of our taxes goes to road expansion projects and constant maintenance every year. Roads clog up since almost everyone uses a car to get anywhere, and the solution to the problem is to add more lanes and more roads, which just continues to exacerbate the issue.
This problem weighs on me as an automotive enthusiast and small business owner within the industry.
Something I love creates a terrible burden on our planet. Vehicles caused nearly 43,000 deaths in the United States in 2021, an unacceptable price to pay for maintaining status quo. Our infrastructure is designed so you practically require a car to get around, but the high cost of ownership creates financial burdens on many.
This isn’t what freedom looks like. A rich and thriving country, considered the “leader of the free world” shouldn’t be presenting such grave safety risks or challenges to get around affordably.
On top of that, the experience of driving has become stressful. My Mazda Miata is tiny compared to the large CUVs, SUVs, and Trucks that make up the bulk of new vehicles these days. Those cars weigh 1.5–3X more than mine, with front ends taller than the roof of my car; placing me, anyone in my car (or in any small car), at a very high risk in an accident.
I see a solution, one that’s already in place elsewhere. A mindset shift is required, which is especially difficult when the only way we know is the one we’ve experienced and expanded upon for decades. However, other countries have accomplished this, including the Netherlands, where they made the decision to move away from car-centric planning models in the 1970’s, and now they’re known for their quiet, safe, bike-filled streets, and for being one of the happiest places to live.
The shift happens by making the car an elective form of transportation, and the least desirable way to travel in most cases.
It’s hard to fathom how that works, but it’s very possible. Public transit systems must be improved and expanded. High-Speed Rail and efficient local trains, streetcars, and buses would be a big part of the solution. Repurposing our current roads is the easiest way forward, and would help to transition away without completely eliminating car traffic. Lanes would get reduced, turning them into streetcar lines and separated bike and walking paths, but we’d keep enough open for deliveries, emergency vehicles, the limited use of cars.
Areas of high traffic for shopping, dining, leisure, or dense business districts could be mostly closed off to vehicles. Often when this is suggested it’s met with the concern of hurting businesses, however, the opposite is normally proven to be true. When you make it easier for people to walk around freely in places where they want to spend their time, they show up. Businesses experience growth in visitors and profits, parks get used more, and there is an increased level of enjoyment found thanks to the effects of being in a vehicle-free zone.
Phasing in these changes is the only way forward, with large cities being the first to make the shift due to their existing transit systems and population density. Mid-size and smaller cities would be the next to adopt the changes, likely fighting to be the first to do so once they see the benefits. And eventually, you’d see more of this filter out into small towns and more rural areas, though it’s likely the changes would be much slower in regions with low populations.
There will still be times when the car is the best way to travel, and in those cases it shouldn’t be frowned upon or questioned if you choose to go by car. But the goal should be to reach a point where using a car is the exception rather than the norm. Why would you drive your car a mile to get groceries when there is limited parking and a cargo bike can get you there cheaper and quicker? Why commute 20 minutes by car when you can work while riding in local transit and gain back some time at home that evening? If your options when traveling to visit family are to drive for six hours in frustrating traffic or to relax in a high-speed train for three, what’s your preference going to be? These questions become endless when you see the other option as not just possible, but truly an improvement over what we do now.
So how does this work for me as a car enthusiast?
Eliminating cars from the roads seems counterintuitive, right? Actually, it’s exactly the world I dream of. When it no longer makes sense to use cars for everything, they only come out when you want. Fewer cars means roads become less stressful, safer, and they’re more likely to be used by others who are focused on driving. Cars that don’t have to do everything can be more specialized to match your interests. Roads that aren’t being destroyed by constant traffic and heavy vehicles won’t quickly deteriorate, becoming more comfortable and enjoyable to drive on.
Additionally, it opens up a path for less car ownership, even for enthusiasts like myself. You can be a car-fanatic and not own a car. There are already companies offering access to special vehicles on the best kind of roads: private race tracks. Renting a car for a few laps, hours, or days provides ways to drive something most can never afford to own. Cutting $11,000 from your annual budget means you’ll have money for experiences like these, whether that’s through a membership to a local track you can visit frequently, or it’s reserved as treat when traveling. There’s still a case for car ownership for enthusiasts, as well as anyone in rural areas or towns that haven’t yet adopted the change through limited-use permits.
Changes like these could even allow us to reduce some of the regulations placed on car manufacturers, opening up opportunities for smaller brands to offer specialty cars, and for costs and complexity to be reduced. And the expectations consumers have for their cars will be completely different, too. There’s no need for 300+ miles of EV range when your car is never used for long trips. Backup cameras, pedestrian friendly crash structures, fuel economy targets, and even emissions controls don’t need to be as strict if cars are infrequent users of our roads.
That’s a win for manufacturers and enthusiasts, allowing simplicity and purity to return to cars in a way it can’t given today’s needs and regulations.
There is much to be gained with these changes in our approach to travel. Cutting cars out as a necessity frees up a tremendous amount of money for most Americans. Cities would benefit by adding tax-generating businesses where massive parking lots currently occupy prime real estate. Small businesses could open in areas where parking minimums have made it impossible to do so. The safety advantages would be significant, because travel by public transit, bike, or walking are far safer than by car, especially in places where cars aren’t the primary mode of travel. Gaining useful time during commutes or when running errands by taking public transit is beneficial. And when walking and biking (and similar methods of personal transportation) become more common, we’ll experience physical and mental health benefits, allowing us to become healthier and happier. The long-term environmental impacts would be staggering, and there would be plenty of immediately noticeable improvements through improved air quality and a reduction in noise pollution.
So there you have it, a car enthusiast’s vision of a better world with fewer cars. It sounds pretty desirable, doesn’t it? Thankfully, many of these methods are already in place around the world, so the only thing left to do is put our American ingenuity and drive in place to make it happen here.
