Chris L

To me, it's never really been an issue of 'cars are bad so we better ban them'. I just think it's a question of degree. For some unknown reason, society seems to have put the car on some kind of pedestal where it's considered totally sacrosanct and above any kind of criticism.

It's felt that we need to spend bucket-loads of money and chew up acres of space that could be used for other things to accommodate as many cars as possible. That's one gripe. The car culture has turned a public place (i.e. the road) into a free-for-all where people behave in ways that simply would not be tolerated in any other facet of life.

There also seems to be some kind of dimished value of human life. Deaths on the road are simply accepted as "just one of those things" in the interests of convenience. Again, something that doesn't happen in any other facet of life (not even in the middle of a war).

What do I want?

1. Car drivers to have the same accountability as anyone else in any other facet of life.

2. For the great unwashed to realise that I still have as much right to use the road as anyone else if I happen to be riding a bike.

3. For some serious questions to be asked when people are killed on the road - instead of simply saying "oh, I didn't see him, it was an accident, just one of those things."

4. For governments to make the same effort promoting other forms of transport as they do in promoting the motor car.

See, no mention at all of banning cars (although someone will accuse me of it before this thread dies). In fact, nothing that even seems unreasonable. No doubt I'll be able to add to this list later on, but that would make a good start.