Does Driving 'Kill'?

A columnist argues that we should label automobiles with public health warnings in the same style as cigarette packets.

1 minute read

November 13, 2005, 5:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"...Spellbound, we embrace the great destroyer and design our lives, communities and countryside around it. We welcome cars into our lives when, rationally, we should be emblazoning them with public health warnings in the same style as cigarette packets. Driving can seriously damage your health, or Driving Kills.

...The car has not simply stumbled into its current iconic and dominant status. History's biggest red carpet has been rolled out for it. Like a spoilt young prince it was born and brought up with an economic silver spoon in its mouth. Margaret Thatcher, as prime minister when I was growing up, told us we were living in a "great car economy." Roads and car parks were built for it at public expense. Competition, like the railways and trams, had already been deliberately run down in its favour."

Saturday, November 12, 2005 in AlterNet

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