Additional planetary destruction occurs during oil exploration and production, road maintenance and construction and auto maintenance. People in the U.S. drive as much as all the other drivers in the world combined. Worst of all is the urban assault vehicle. These vehicles assault us and the environment much more than your standard compact. They guzzle twice the fuel and do twice the damage to smaller cars when involved in an accident.
Traffic accidents kill more people than illegal drugs or guns.
About 47,000 people are killed each year on U.S. roads, almost as many U.S. soldiers that died during the entire Vietnam War. Estimates of additional deaths per year caused by motor vehicle emissions range from 30,000 to 60,000. Death rates for motor vehicle travel are about 10 times higher than any other form of transportation, including air and rail. The U.S. General Accounting Office predicts that this country's road congestion will triple in 15 years even if capacity is increased by 20 percent. Single-driver cars add tremendously to this problem, and many SDCs have an attitude.