It’s a fact, commercial vehicle use around the world is expanding, both in the developed and developing world. It is debatable whether the use, and more specifically ownership, of a passenger vehicle is a need, or a want, but before we consider the implications surrounding this debate, we need to discuss what these terms mean. Needs are things such as food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep, and comfort that are necessary for human survival. Wants are things that may increase a person’s feelings of self-worth, self-fulfillment, independence, and personal potential. Note that defining what is a need, and what is a want is not always black and white, there are many things, such as passenger vehicles, that may fall somewhere in between these …show more content…
It was also found that fuel consumption and emissions were 20-45% higher during rush hour traffic than in steady traffic conditions. Stopped traffic, especially during commute times, is not only a frustration to drivers, but to business and corporations as well. Each year, traffic tie-ups are estimated to result in 1.2 billion hours of lost time, with productivity loss equal to approximately $30 billion in the United States alone. On top of that, an estimated 2.2 billion gallons of gasoline are also lost. One way that rush hour traffic can be reduced is through car pooling, or car sharing. An initiative in Portland called “Car Sharing Portland” (CSP) has been shown as one way to effectively reduce road traffic. Car sharing is when a group of individuals or businesses share their cars with other members, who primarily use these vehicles for short, local trips. As a result of CSP, 26% of members sold their own personal cars, and 53% were able to avoid purchasing their own vehicle. This is only one of many innovative solutions that have been shown to be effective in reducing traffic congestion and unnecessary motor vehicle ownership. When the true costs of commercial vehicles are considered, it is easy to find solutions that can be beneficial both for you, and the environment.
The difficulty in determining whether commercial vehicle use or ownership is a need
Three quarters of emissions in 2004 were coming from road traffic (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). Emissions used from transportation are forecasted to increase from the year 2007-2030 by about 80% according to studies done by James Woodcock who is currently studying climate change and health from car fuels (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). This is due to the fact that the emissions from vehicles are increasing significantly and are higher than any other energy fragment (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). The only way to lower this percentage is to decrease the number of individual automobiles on the road and increase the number of public transit systems, starting long distance walking to work or school, carpooling or even biking to destinations. These principles would
As people have difficulties to reaching services and activities without having a car, owning a car has its disadvantages and problems also. The problem’s origin date back to the 1920s. While cities were being planned, overall design was based on car usage, but did not account for growth in that population. Urban sprawl added to increased car usage, which was not taken into account during the design phase, and improper
American culture has projected itself onto the automobile, imparting a sense of Manifest Destiny. In a car, the driver owns the road. Driving is an entitlement, a privilege, a right. The driver creates his or her own social space within the car, which becomes a symbolic boundary between the self and Other. Only friends, family, and
To the common individual, a car is simply a means of transportation. However, from the social stand point, the automobile impacts people’s daily lives in a larger aspect. The modern automobile was inspired by a toy made for a Chinese emperor. The toy was not
The traffic problem in Atlanta drains both time and money for thousands. It has been shown that Atlanta drivers spend on average 51 unnecessary hours behind the wheel each year (WSB Radio, 2013). That’s more than two 24 hour days spent sitting in traffic. During all this time spent, Atlantans end up spending upwards of $1000 per year on gas and collectively use 63,000,000 gallons of gas each year while sitting in traffic (WSB Radio, 2013). Traffic in Atlanta has been a huge waste of time and money for Atlantans for years and something needs to be done to alleviate the
This document specifically highlights how the Gold Coast City Council is tackling the city’s issue of traffic congestion by improving the existing structure of the roads and public transport. Hopefully this will decrease the number vehicles on the road which will reduce the amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere (City of Gold Coast, 2013).
On average, an American commuter spends around 30 hours per week sitting in traffic going to and from the job that they may or may not love. Commuters in some cities like Washington DC, that is both near and dear to our hearts, can spend roughly 60 hours per week stuck in traffic. Not only is time wasted wasted while commuting, but the gas that we constantly fill our cars up with may as well be flushed down the drain. Following the gas that is going down this metaphorical drain here, is a ridiculous amount of money from an innocent commuter’s wallet. Additionally, time wasted while commuting could’ve been time well spent with one’s family or even with one’s pets. The
America’s modern society thrives on the need for personal vehicles. The desire to be an individual is evident in the choice of a car; it states personality and class, and it represents independence and freedom. However, if it was not for World War II, cars would not be what they are today.
RTD’s new BRT project will save 29,575 Metric Tons of greenhouse gases (CO2) over a 20-year period through the reduction of auto trips. The long-term strategy to address these issues are to development a more balanced transportation system that emphasizes an expansion of convenient and high quality transit services throughout the region. The amount of congestion is expected to decrease over time as ridership increases. The BRT Expansion project is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health and the livability of Stockton. A growing number of Stockton residents prefer to drive less and rely more on walking, bicycling, and public transportation because it is much healthier. The shift from auto travel to transit, walking, and bicycling will result in significant reduction in transportation-related
For us Americans the car is not just a helpful machine that helps us get around. The “sacred” American car is one of the most important status symbols of The American society. The newer and more expensive somebody car is a, the more well-off it’s driver is presumed, in reality that is not really the case. Many Americans in todays
Some families have two or three cars, or even one person has two or three cars. The air is polluted because of too much gasoline that people use every day. In order to protect our environment, people should use public transportation instead of using cars. This way not only decrease a pollution but also it can decrease traffic jams in the high
These days, according to a survey carried out by Bentley Motor Corporation in 2012, there is an average of one car by family in every household in Britain. Car ownership is not only for pleasure, but for convenience and a means of livelihood for some people. Although I agree that it is important to reduce cars on our roads and have other means of transport, I do not think that making laws against car ownership will solve the issues. This essay will discuss these points using examples to support my arguments and demonstrate my points,
Vehicles are a part of a person’s everyday life these days. You see them everywhere, no matter if it’s a big city, or a little country town. People use cars to travel to all sorts of places, whether it is a school or work. We push our vehicles to the maximum so they seem to wear out really fast. It seems like every five to six years you have to purchase a new one. People have so many causes to by a new car these days but owning a car also comes with a lot of effects. New cars come with a lot of benefits like reliability and warranties. The biggest downfall with buying that brand-new car is the car payment and that expensive car insurance. A new car might look good, and you might get more attention, but you pay for that attention. You must ask yourself is the cost worth the award?
Motor vehicles per 1000 people compared to GDP Country name | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | | | Albania | 118 | 121 | 118 | | | Algeria | 112 | 114 | 119 | | | Australia | 691 | 698 | 703 | | | Austria | 569 | 578 | 585 | | |
Our proposal is to create a website that encourages people to learn about how to use their car efficiently. Our website is called Greenriding and there are some games and quizzes that teach you about air pollution. During this game you earn points and you can trade it in for coupons and the coupon is sent to the person by email, and comes in a printable PDF. These coupons can be traded in for things that help air pollution (free smog checks, free tire inflation, free shuttle rides, and free tune ups). The reason our proposal is mainly focused on learning lessons, to earn points, to get coupons, is because actually keeping your car in good shape is a huge impact on the environment. Also getting your car checked out, and fixed soon after your engine light goes on, can improve your mileage by more than 30%. The second part of Greenriding is a car and shuttle system called Greenrides. You can either rent a shuttle bus for multiple people, or you could rent an individual car for just a few people. To become a member of the Greenrides program, you pay $25 per year. You get the individual car rides for free, but would still pay $10 per shuttle ride. We the car manufactures are concerned that the next generation of drivers will not be educated enough on air pollution. They should be able to learn about air pollution for a small price. Your car is designed to run at an optimal efficiency, however time, distance, and weather, contribute to decreasing that efficiency. Routine