When limiting car usage the first thing that most everyone thinks of is: "How would I get from Point A to Point B instead of driving myself in my car? Would I walk, ride a bike, take public transportation, or try and find a new creative approach?" Limiting car usage is not the end of the world, it is the beginning of a healthy one. Most cars burn gas which cause smog and pollution which is harmful to the enviorment, some people get lazy and end up being so dependent on a vehicle that they will not even consider walking a few blocks to a friend's house for an afternoon lunch, and our own ancestors have gone without a car for centuries on end. So would it really be that much of a struggle to not use a car any and every where that you go? You do not need to never use your car again, you just need to realize that using your vehicle more than needed is harming not just yourself, but everything and everyone you interact with in life.

In Paris, France a partial driving ban was put into effect just before the 'City of Love and Romance' reached record breaking pollution levels. The ban states that: "On Monday motorists with even-numbered license plates were ordered to leave their cars at home or suffer a 22-euro fine($31). The same would apply to odd-numbered plates the following days."("Paris bans driving due to smog", Robert Duffer). However, just because there is a law put into affect does not mean that everyone will abide by it. According to Reuters, an international news agency in London, almost 4,000 drivers were fined and 27 people had their vehicles impounded because of their reaction to the fines. It is a shame that people are so unwilling to follow one rule for one day which would help the planet and reduce the pollution in their city. According to Duffer, Paris ,typically, has more smog than other European capitals. When Duffer's article was published he states, "Last week Paris has 147 micrograms of particulate matter(PM) per cubic meter compared with 114 in Brussels and 79.7 in London, Reuters found." Also, in Paris, diesel fuel is used more than gasoline. Diesel engines take more energy to burn the gas which causes more pollution than just normal gasoline. According to Reuters, France has a tax policy that favors diesel over gasoline. In France, as a whole, 67 percent of vehicles have diesel engines. In the rest of Western Europe, about 53 percent of vehicles have diesel engines. The smog that is in the air from the burning gas of your vehicle ends up in your lungs. Imgine just sitting in front of the exhaust pipe of your car for a few seconds(do not actually attempt this analogy) it is overwhelming and unbearable. It is harmful to your lungs and the rest of your body. That pollution is coming out of thousands and thousands of other cars and is adding up to the air all around you. You breath that air every day, just like your family and friends as well. In Paris, after the partial driving ban, on Monday the smog cleared up enough for the French party to take away the ban on the odd-numbered plates on Tuesday, according to Duffer. If the smog in one of the biggest cities in the world can clear up just a little bit in one day from limiting car usage, imagine how much smog could be prevented if you limit your car usage every day. What if you only used your vehicle when traveling out of town or when you need to transport a large item? You can change your whole enviorment just by deciding to walk or ride the bus to work instead of turning on your vehicle to drive 10 miles down the road.

The law that was put affect in Paris, France does not state that you can never drive your vehicle again, it is just simply asking the citizens to go one day without their vehicle. "But what if I have to go somewhere such as work, school, or anywhere else that I want?" Paris is a large city, that much is understood, because it is a large city there is more than just one way of getting from Point A to Point B. One way is public transportation from the city and/or local businesses, like a bus or tram.  According to the BBC public transit was free of charge from Friday to Monday as well. So, if you did not want to spend extra money than you had to that would not be a probolem. If you do not like public transportation, or do not prefer it, you can get out for a bit of exercise and ride a bike or even walk. Getting up or leaving maybe an hour or two early so that you can get to your desired destination on time is not that heavy of a price to pay. Also, you are getting exercise out of it which benefits your health. Walking or even riding a bike to work can benefit you in so many ways. If you see someone familiar walking towards you, you have the opportunity to start up a conversation and catch up with how their life is going. As well as this, if you see a small shop or stand that sparks your interest you have easier access to explore inside. If you were driving/riding in a vehicle then you would have to cross traffic, find a parking spot, make sure you grabbed everything that you need, and make sure that it is locked. If you are taking a stroll through town, you already have your needed things, you do not need to cross traffic and find a parking spot, and you do not have to risk accidentally leaving your vehicle unlocked and end up possibly getting robbed. A study discovered by Elisabeth Rosenthal found out that driving by youth decreased 23 percent between 2001 and 2009. Maybe this is because young people still have the energy and sense of adventure in them to walk or take a bus somewhere(or they just can not afford it, which in the long run saves them money anyway). Maybe you can learn from the young people that decide to ride a bike or skateboard to work instead of driving a car. Maybe taking public transportation is not as crowded and as much of a hassle as the movies make it seem. Taking public transportation can introduce you to new people with different backgrounds as well. You can meet someone that you might not see as a coworker or a family friend that you have an idea already who they are. Some people are always so busy with every day life that they do not have the time to meet new people and learn new names. With public transportation or deciding to walk instead you have a bigger opportunity to meet someone new. Why not give yourself a healthier lifestyle by walking once a week to work instead of driving? The question still remains, why not?

Limiting your vehicle usage does not limit your options and exposure to the outside world. Having a vehicle is not entirely a bad thing either. Some vehicles are 'eco friendly' and are built so they can help protect the enviorment. Sadly, however, most are not built and designed that way. Driving is so stressful for a person. You have to focus on all of your surroundings, check every blind spot, make sure that all of your fluids are not empty, replacing tires, and so much more. Again, driving is not all bad. Some people enjoy to drive, some say that is relaxes them and gives them time to think because driving is the only 'alone time' that they have. Carlos Arturo Plaza says, "It's a good oppurtunity to take away stress and lower air pollution." The human race has survived countless centuries without motor vehicles, why can we not seem to last just a day?