Reducing the usage of cars in today's world could be extremely beneficial. Sure, it is also a hastle having to re-route your commute and also making the time to get there, but the myriad advantages to the reduction of car usage is astonishing. Reducing our usage of cars will reduce the smog in cities, such as Los Angeles, Beijing, and Paris, reduce the stress of many drivers, and also save people money. Now who doesn't love money?

Smog/pollution is growing daily in dense, polluted areas. Looking outside of LA, you can see the dirty, polluted air surrounding the city, as well as the toxic blanket the covers Beijing. One of the main sources contributing to this is cars. Greenhouse gases are emitted from tailpipes and go straight into the atmosphere. In Europe, exhaust makes up fifteen percent of greenhouse gas emission, and accounts for fifty percent in the United States, FIFTY PERCENT. That's half of the pollution in our country, and an easy solution is to limit car usage. If your car usage is not limitable, perhaps switching to a hybrid car such as a Toyota Prius will make you feel good about contributing to the cause. Some areas, like Bogota, Colombia, participate in a Car-free Day. This day is widely celebrated in the area and is infectiously spreading to nearby areas and potentially the world soon enough. This day allows for smog reduction. Cities such as Paris, however, have to ban car usage sometimes because their smog is so bad. During this ban, hybrid cars and carpooling is allowed. This shows the extreme measures necessary to reduce the smog in populated areas.

As most people know, driving is stressful and is perhaps a top contributer of stress in America. In populated areas, rush-hour traffic is annoying and causes many people to change their schedules. When driving during rush-hour, you are in constant fear of potentially being cut-off and your risk of being in an accident heightens dramtically. With that being said, what if I told you there was a way to completely cut out this fear? Communities such as Vauban, Germany are helping alleviate stress by making car-free communities. Within these communities, cars are allowed to be owned, but you must park it in a parking garage at the end of the community and also buy a spot... for $40,000. Cars are used rarely, as restaurants, shops, and others are within walking distance of these communities. Cars are only used for long-distance travel and are permitted on highways and on the outer edges of the area. The stress is alleviated because you can walk outside, grab your mail, and listen to the birds if want, all without the worry of cars. You don't need to constant check your rear-view mirrors if you're walking to your favorite restaurant. With the introduction of smartphones and the constantly growing usage rate of the internet, people don't need cars to communicate anymore. They can simply go on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. to communicate.

Finally, the reduction of car usage allows for people to save money, and a significant amount too. If you live in a neighborhood such as Vauban, there may be no need for a car at all. In today's world, a good car costs somewhere are 30-40 thousand dollars. Imagine what you could do with that much money. You could get a nice house, or travel to your favorite destination, or anything really. You could send your kid to a nice college! And the drawbacks are small, because everything is within a twenty minute walk. That sounds pretty nice to me.