10 Reasons Why You Should Limit Your Driving
We think it is the best way to transport ourselves, but there are many downsides to driving. That is why we are giving you the top 10 reasons to why you should limit your driving and be conscientious of your driving the next time you decide to take the car.
1. Bad For The Environment
The air that we breathe is heavily polluted by our driving. It has been recorded that cars are causing 90% of the air’s pollution through the emission of greenhouse gases that also contribute to global warming. You should be aware of the fact that cutting out even one car from the millions that we drive every day, will create a difference. In addition to that, it has been recorded by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency that the average car spews more than 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. So, when we say that limiting your driving will help the environment, we mean it!
2. Waste Of Time
When we travel by car we affix our time on one thing, driving. If, however, you decided to take another mode of transportation, such as a train or bus, you would have been able to use your time judiciously. In other words, you would have been able to study for that upcoming exam, read, write, or work on other important tasks. Unfortunately, when you are traveling by car your time is constricted to driving and getting from point A to point B. Instead of worrying about taking that exam in the car, you could have been studying for it on your way to the exam if you had taken the bus! See what I mean!
3. High Costs
The price, sales tax, dealership fees, registration and title fees, car insurance, maintenance, fuel costs, and other high costs are expenses you will have to consider when owning just one car! You probably do not even want to know the total of these costs and we do not blame you (approximately $8,000 per year). If, for example, you invested in a bicycle, the costs would come out to be significantly cheaper compared to your investment in a car. For a bike, you would only have to worry about the cost of a bike which is usually up to $200, with no other strings attached! Not only would you be saving money, but also the precious environment.
4. Tiring
Driving takes a lot of energy from you. All of your concentration and energy goes to your driving and there is so much that caffeine and energy drinks can do! Especially if you are traversing an unknown area, you are in need of extra concentration and energy that can all disappear even before you arrive at your desired destination. In other words, if you are commuting to your job by car, you might arrive fatigued to your job even more than before you had left the house! Tell me how are you supposed to get anything done with absolutely no energy?
5. Dangerous
You should not be afraid of getting into a plane, bus, or bicycle accident, but what you should avoid and be afraid of is experiencing a car accident! You heard that right, more than 77% of drivers have experienced a car accident at least once in their life and at least 30% of these drivers were under the influence. You should always be careful on the road and therefore your should, in fact, limit your driving especially when it comes to protecting yourself and those around you from a life-threatening accident. So, do us a favor and put your life first and find a safer mode of transportation!
6. Parking
Finding parking spaces might be a drag and incredibly time-consuming. However, you would not think that you would have this problem since almost 60% of downtown real estate is devoted to parking spaces! The problem that you experience when parking is that there are more cars than parking spaces. Even if they did add more spaces, there would be no spaces for restaurants, bars, and houses! Choose your pick, more unattractive parking lots or more livelihood in the city, the answer is obvious in this case. Instead of attending that concert in your car, you should take public transportation which will, in fact, save you money, time, and your nerves!
7. Efficiency
Say you want to attend an event which you know many people will be attending and you decide to take the car anyway. On your way to the event you run into heavy traffic and as a result, you arrive to your event late! You just lost an hour sitting in traffic and lost about a half hour for an event that you paid for. Efficiency is key and the last thing you want to do is sit and waste time. In this case, it would have been more tactful if you had taken public transportation, that way you would not have to worry about time and that dreaded parking!
8. Cramped Conditions
You do not have to drive very far to experience the cramped conditions of your car. In other words, if you are a person who experiences claustrophobia easily, then getting around by car might not be the most ideal mode of transportation. A car can easily feel cramped if your bottles and trash start to accumulate. Along with having people in your car and having absolutely no room to adjust yourself while driving, might be an issue that we experience while driving. With public transportation, you can either stand or sit without feeling cramped with the things around you!
9. Traffic
Very little has to be said about being stuck in traffic because we all can agree on the fact that it is an annoyance. The only way to avoid this is by limiting your driving and looking at alternative modes of transportation!
10. Healthy Alternatives
When it comes to limiting your driving you have many healthy alternatives such as taking the bus, metro, or your bicycle. These ways allow you to save money, emit fewer greenhouse gases, and save time on the road! We are not saying that you need to completely cut out driving but to at least limit it and alternate between the different modes of transportation!
