Being around legal age, driving a car is something I have been thinking about a lot recently. Or, more specifically, learning to drive, considering I have not started Driver's Ed. I think there are many different aspects about driving one can think about, such as environmental effects, responsibility, the proper age, gas prices, and more.
Living in a very privileged area, it's common to hear new teen drivers discussing the new car they'll be receiving for their sweet sixteenth birthday. And TV shows like "My Super Sweet Sixteen" make it seem like getting a new car is mandatory in order to have a successful party. Cars can cost any amount of money, depending on whether they are used or brand-spanking-new. Currently, the most expensive street legal car in the world is the Bugatti Veyron, which costs $1,192,057 new. It is the fastest accelerating car and can go from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
Cars contribute a huge amount of pollution in multiple ways. Cars and light trucks consume 16% of the total energy used in the United States, cause air and water pollution from run-off from motor oil, break dust, exhaust and more. Cars also cause noise pollution and take up land space from parking lots, urban and rural roadways. Additionally, the scrapping of cars cause large amounts of waste and landfill space and fun fact: it is estimated that over one million animals are killed everyday by vehicle collisions.
Learning to drive is a milestone in every teen's life, and one step closer to independence. Driving gives one a sense of freedom, and for parents, can relieve them of the need to give their kids rides everywhere. For some parents, however, it can be dreaded and nerve-wracking. Motor vehicles crashes are responsible for one out of every three teen deaths; they are the leading cause of death for this age group. Some people believe that raising the driving age would help prevent accidents and death, while others think it would just delay the problems.
Driving is pretty much a crucial part of today's society. Very few people live close enough to necessary places (doctor/hospital, grocery, workplace, school, etc.) that they could walk or bike there on a daily basis. In fact, some people live miles and miles away from jobs and it would be literally impossible to for them to go there without a car. Especially in colder climates, it would be extremely difficult to get anywhere without a car. In cities, where public transportation is more common, it's easier to live without a motor vehicle, but in many other places, it's quite a hassle. Cars are pretty big troublemakers, but are a seemingly necessary part of our society.
Sources:
http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/automobiles-and-environment.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/teenmvh.htm
http://www.thesupercars.org/top-cars/most-expensive-cars-in-the-world-top-10-list-2007-2008/
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