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Car Freedom
“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.” - Doug Larson
“Normal is
getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through
traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the
job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you
leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” - Ellen Goodman (1941 - )
“Telling the
future by looking at the past assumes that conditions remain constant.
This is like driving a car by looking in the rearview mirror.” - Herb Brody
Defining the car today is like defining
society. The car is more than simply a way to get around. For
many it’s a status symbol. For many it’s comfort and
convenience. For many, it’s a life saver - soccer moms come
to mind. It’s also, to many, a huge time saver.
Except wait a minute...is it? The
price we pay for this convenience, status and comfort is considerably
more than we generally assume. Consider the time saving features
for instance.
If the costs of owning a car were added
up, the actual speed amounts to about 14 km/h - not much better than an
average bicycle ride. In terms of time, it works like this.
Based on a 50 km/hr zone within city limits and given stops and delays,
accelerating and decelerating, sitting in line-ups at Timmys on GNR or
Bay Street, an average speed is generally 30 km/hr. Assuming the
average distance driven is 24,000 km/year1, then the time spent driving
is 24, 000/30 = 800 hours per year = 33.3 full days of driving.
Using a similar approach, we can calculate
how many hours you need to work each year to own and operate your
car. Starting with the same distance, Canadian Automobile
Association (CAA)1 determines the cost of ownership as $12, 834.10 for
a Caravan. Since the Sault has many mini-vans and half ton
trucks, this seems a more appropriate assumption than for the other
average cost calculated by CAA based on a Cobalt. Since this is after
tax dollars, to calculate the cost in before tax dollars, this amount
must be grossed up by an average 30% tax bracket which gives us
$18,334.43 of earnings before taxes. Assuming an income of $20
per hour or $39,000 per year, gives you 916.7 hours of work to pay for
that car each year.
Finally, assuming approximately 2 hours
per month tending to your car - washing it (or paying for it to be
washed), waxing, changing or adding fluids/gas, checking air pressure,
purchasing parts, waiting for maintenance, etc.) adds another 24 hours
per year to the time spent.
The total time spent on your car annually
equals 800 + 916.7 + 24 = 1740.7 hours per year. That’s 75.5 24
hour days or, since most of us are awake only 16 hours/day (and
that’s when we’re tending to our cars), 109 full productive
16 hour days - almost 1/3 of an entire year dedicated solely to a car.
That’s per car. How many cars in your family?
That’s a lot of economic potential dedicated to a single private
material artefact.
Now, divide that 24,000 km/year by 1740.7 hours and you get approximately 14 km/hour.
If the costs not usually attributed to the
car were calculated, this speed drops much further. These
‘externalities’ include the health and environmental,
social, economic and other costs that are directly attributable to the
car. The term ‘externalities’ is misleading though,
because it assumes the costs are external from society and the economy
when in fact they are only external to our accounting methods - we
ultimately still pay them either directly or through our taxes. Just
for example, in 1994, motor vehicle collisions were estimated to cost
Ontario $9 billion annually2. Since we know these costs exist,
they must also be factored into the calculations. However, for
simplicity, they will not be included here.
You see, it’s a plot folks!
That’s why we’re so busy! Seriously, though, I doubt
there’s any conspiracy involved here. We’ve simply
become accustomed to driving, and at times it’s very convenient.
It’s also a social statement, and
the materialism attributed to the car is socially substantial to
health. This is important, because when someone can’t afford a
car, chooses not to drive, or is unable to use a car, they are
immediately placed at a disadvantage in society - whether disabled, an
ageing senior, or a young teenager.
The car is also a positional good.
Yet we know that it is impossible to improve societal well being from
accumulating positional goods. As more people acquire them, the
social benefits attributable to their use decline.
Think of it like this: if you were the
only one driving along Wellington Street or Great Northern Road,
you’d probably be able to hit all the lights green. As more
people drive, this likelihood declines, and your trip takes longer and
longer. Ultimately, as congestion sets in, the level of service
declines, and some action is deemed necessary in order to mitigate the
congestion. Often those actions mean increasing roadway
capacities and efficiencies. Thomas Princen suggests that when we have
too many books, we look for another bookshelf rather than seek a way to
reduce the number of books we have. Similarly with cars, when
there are too many, and the costs of driving increase, impeding
economies and communities alike, we tend to look for ways to
accommodate that ever growing number of vehicles rather than seek ways
to reduce their numbers. Or, if you’re a fan of George
Carlin, remember his famous sketch on ‘stuff”?
We all know the use of cars that burn
fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming that may be
affecting everything from declining Lake Superior levels to reduced
summer rainfall in the Sault. Profligate car use also contributes
to an epidemic of obesity and childhood asthma - with obesity rates in
the Sault soaring to 19.7% and people above a healthy weight at 58.4%
in Algoma. This compares to 14.9% and 48.2% respectively in
Canada and 14.8% and 48.1% respectively for Ontario3. Just as
alarming is that childhood asthma rates in Sault Ste. Marie rank 3rd in
the province in terms of age and sex adjusted hospitalization rates per
100,000 children for asthma4.
Well, there is a way Saultites can
participate together in a world wide social movement to reduce the
number of cars and their undesirable impacts...at least for one day.
This year, world car free day is Saturday
October 22. On Friday September 21, Sault College will be
promoting this opportunity and encouraging staff and students to try
something different than their normal drive. Whether that’s
walking, cycling, taking the bus or car pooling - for those that are
able every little bit helps. Sault College will also have table
top displays by various groups and agencies exploring the benefits of
car free travel. A free bicycle inspection will be offered, and
there will be several guest speakers. In addition, you can
explore your carbon footprint at a special kiosk, and there will be
several other related environmental initiatives woven into the day.
After trying it, you might find it’s
easier than you think. Besides you’d be making a
contribution to reduce traffic, save yourself time and money, and help
the City of Sault Ste. Marie save millions of dollars by deferring new
road expansion and maintenance projects.
World car free day takes on an entirely
new meaning of freedom when considered in the context of speed and time.
I’m amazed by the number of people
who tell me they’ve reduced their travel by car; they’re
amazed at how much time and money they’ve saved. Now,
winter’s probably not the best time to try this if you’re
not familiar with the ropes, but come spring, maybe you too can save
lots and join this growing social movement.
Ultimately, defining the car is like
defining society: we spnd a lot of time and money on things, except
don’t get very far very fast.
Sites of Interest:
References:
2. Ontario Ministry of Transportation (Vodden, et al., 1994): The Social Cost of Motor Vehicle
Crashes in Ontario
3. Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2004.
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