Excessive driving hurts the economy. It increases our dependence on foreign oil. Traffic congestion severely inflates the cost of moving goods and services. Most families are spending more on cars than on food. Traffic lowers property values.
Alternatives cost less.
Single occupancy vehicles cost the public 3 times as much per mile as buses or trains. Health Costs Automobiles are the leading cause of death among Americans aged 15-24. Traffic accidents kill around 40,000 people in the US alone each year and severely injure 500,000 more. This is comparable to a medium-sized war, every year. Typical Americans now spend 8 hours per week in their cars.