Imagine getting off work on a Friday at five o'clock, there's no bumper to bumper traffic, no horns honking at each other, and no stressful commutes home. This is unimaginable for people who reside in the U.S., but people in parts of Europe live like that every day. There are many advantages to cutting down on car usage.

One advantage to this cut would be that you would be saving money. Many people who drive tend to get in accidents or get pulled over by police for speeding. These incidents are very costly and come with repercussions if you don't pay them. Another way you would be saving money is not having to pay for gas. Gas may be only $2.00 for now, but when those prices go on that incline again it becomes very costly to fill up the tank. If you can't afford to fill up your tank then you will be putting wear and tear on the car which leads to more more money being spent to maintnance it. Alternate transportation that's more cost efficient is taking the city bus. It costs about $1 to get from point A to point B where it would cost you about $6 in gas to get you to the same place. You could also purchase a bicycle to take you where you need to go. Maintnancing a bike is a lot cheaper than a car.

A second advantage that limiting car usage has is that it eliminates pollution. A car gives off sound, light, and air pollution which all effect our ecosystem whether you notice it or not. The U.S may not have as much air pollution as other countries but with the increase in car purchases it could get worse. I'm not saying youn have to completely get rid of your vehicles, but maybe the license plate bill may work. Every other day only license plates that begin or end with odd numbers could drive, and on the days the odds can't drive we allow the plates with the even numbers to drive. People could car pool with co-workers on the days that whoever has those plates can drive. We just need to start taking percausions on our car usage.

In the car free test cities people are overall happier because they aren't so stressed worrying about being late due to traffic or getting in an accident. Driving can be extremely stressful especially with the many things that can distract people so easily. These distractions can lead to accidents or just more stress. " 'When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way' said Heidrun Walter, mother of two, as she walked verdant streets where the swish of bicycles and the chatter of wandering children driwn out the distant motor."(Source 1, Paragraph 3, Lines 4-11) This quote puts an image in my mind that is happy and stress free. Imagine how happy you would be if everything was conviently close to youer home and you could enjoy walks or biek rides places with your kids.

People should take a moment and think about ehat life without depending on cars would be like. Would you be healthier, happier, or not? Just take into consideration how you would live and be if we didn't have to rely on cars.