The Controversial Issues Related to Cars

Cars are wheeled motor vehicles that are used for transportation. Cars are primarily run on roads, have four tires, and can seat one-eight people. They have been around since as early as 1856/57 when Karl Benz became the first person to make an automobile. Yes, cars do help us on a daily basis and most people probably can’t go for more than a day or two without them because it is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t affecting us and the environment. This topic is very controversial when discussing current issues like that of pollution, cost-effectiveness, and others’ safety.

Owning a car can be very costly depending on your income and your car. To start with, having a driver's license is mandatory if you are to buy/lease a car and drive it. The costs of owning a car can be very overwhelming. Insurance payments, plate and sticker costs, gas, tires (mainly winter), maintenance (oil changes, filter change, and fluid top up), monthly payments (including taxes), renewing a driver’s license, and upkeep of the actual vehicle are all necessities that must be considered. Canadians spend an average of $437.48 a month on car bills including payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance. For some, owning a car is very beneficial but their payment/bills can start to catch up to them for whatever the reason. Your car is your responsibility to pay for and if you cannot pay for it, then you will have to use some other way of transportation for travel.

Although cars are an asset to our everyday life we can still live without them and find other ways to get around. We can walk, use bikes, take the bus, take the subway, take a train, or even take a plane. Doing this can also save you money, but most people prefer to travel by car or bus.

Pollution is killing us. Cars play a large role in air pollution, especially when cars are on/running. Car pollution is one the main causes of global warming, which is harmful to us and the environment. Cars emit air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulpĥur oxides (SO). Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are both involved in series of complex reactions which then result in the formation of ground-level ozone, which is a respiratory irritant and one of the major components of smog (smog is a fog or haze combine with smoke and other atmospheric pollutants). When these deadly toxins are released they can kill us, in fact, the American Lung Association reports that 30,000 people are killed by car emissions annually in the United States alone. Although cars have many cons about it this without a doubt is one of the worst.

Even though cars play a rather large role in pollution that does not mean we can’t try to not prevent but instead to reduce the amount released. Some ways we can help are by reducing the number of trips you take with your car can be, walk to places within a decently close distance (this also helps us be more active). You can take the public transit or the subway. You can bike to places (again this can also benefit your health). Even if you do want to drive your car and prevent less pollution from being released you can carpool, this way the others don't need to use their own car, leading to unnecessary pollution being released. Buying an eco-friendly car such as a Hyundai Sonata plug-in hybrid, Nissan LEAF, Mercedes-Benz B250e, and many more are much more beneficial for the environment than normals car because some run on twin powered engines (gasoline engine and electric motor) that cuts fuel consumption and conserves energy. These are some ways to help prevent less pollution, now it's our turn to try them and help our Earth as much as we can.

When it comes to cars, safety is a major requirement. Car safety is not only about the driver, it is about everyone in the car, other cars around you, pedestrians, animals around the area, and things/building in the area. When driving the driver must take to mind that they are not only risking their own but everyone else’s around them too. Globally nearly 1.3 million people die in crashes each year, on average 3.287 deaths a day and an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. More than half of all road traffic occur among people ages 15-44. Unless action is taken, by 2030 road safety injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death.