What’s wrong with cars?

Last update:  January 2, 2026

Ten problems with cars

1. Climate Change.  Cars are one of the most damaging contributors to climate change, and climate change is one of the most serious problems facing humanity. (United Nations)  
2. Air pollution.  About half of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air, most of it caused by vehicles.  It kills between 20-50,000 Americans each year, which makes it around the #10 cause of death.  Most childhood cancers are probably caused by pollution. (Union of Concerned Scientists, Northern Echo) 
3. Destruction of natural areas.  Tens of millions of acres of natural habitat have been degraded or destroyed for oil access, and fossil fuel extraction is a top threat to biodiversity in many places.  Then the roads themselves and suburban sprawl has destroyed countless more.
4. Cars kill.  Vehicles are deadly, killing about 40,000 Americans per year.
5. Wars over oil.  The 1990s and 2000s gulf wars are largely seen as attempts to control oil reserves. (Mother Jones, CNN)  It would be better if our transportation choices didn’t cause people to die.  
6. Isolated communities.  Car-centered planning spreads destinations far apart, replacing walkable streets with wide roads, parking lots, and highways that act as physical barriers between neighborhoods.  Cars become a near-necessity, reducing social interaction, and turning public spaces into something to pass through rather than gather in.
7. Economic Enslavement.  The system is set up so it’s almost impossible to not own a car, and cars are expensive.  I calculated that a person loses $1 to $2 million over a working life by having a car.  (I hope to bring back that calculator soon.)  Hence the phrase, “Drive to work, work to drive.”
8. Corruption of government.  Oil, gas, cars, and highways are big business, and governments at every level are susceptible to the influence of those who stand to profit.  This is such a huge topic that countless books have been written about it.  (Asphalt Nation, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, KUT) 
9. Political violence.  Take the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa.  He campaigned in Nigeria to stop Shell and Chevron from taking over native people's lands to drill for oil.  The oil companies, in bed with the Nigerian military, had him arrested and killed.
10. Higher taxes.  Local roads are funded by local taxes, not the gas tax.  As such, all locals are paying a huge amount of taxes taxes for roadway construction and maintenance.  And then there are indirect taxes and intangible costs, such as crash response, health care costs from crashes, health care costs from pollution, and climate damage.  These costs are a burden for everyone, but worse, those who drive infrequently or not at all are subsidizing those who do.

Older articles on pollution, specifcally

• Article on pollution caused by cars, including ground-level ozone, lead, and climate-change effects.
• Statistics on vehicle pollution
• Natural gas buses might be not much better than diesel