There is no mechanism more inoffensive, no means of transport more sure and safe. In hindsight, such blind faith that technology would solve the transportation woes of cities might seem quaint, even ironic. Now about half the travel on U.S. expressways slows to a crawl during the peak hours every day.
Car crashes cause some three million injuries annually.
According to the American Lung Association, roughly 100 million Americans live in cities where vehicle emissions regularly push ozone levels above federal standards. Hardly inoffensive, sure and safe. But cars seemed a logical, progressive choice in 1899 because they helped to fulfill common human desires for mobility, space and status. They still do. For that reason, many developing nations are beginning to follow their rich peers down the asphalt path, with enormous consequences to their cities and environment.