Car Dependence and Its Legacy

As we pointed out in Chapter 1, the car is unquestionably central to the lifestyle of most people in modern Western societies, and the nature of the personal mobility it provides is likely to remain one of mankind s most prized assets for as much of the twenty-first century as we can reasonably foresee.  

There is an intricate relationship between personal mobility, ready accessibility to goods and services, business productivity, and urban development. Urbanisation results from a need for accessibility that, in turn, requires mobility. Mobility values time, which results in supply-side solutions. It has even been said that modernisation is tantamount to mobilisation, and that the car is a metaphor for mobility.  

In general terms, urbanisation resulted from a need for ready accessibility to essential services as societies became more specialised, which in turn required personal mobility and efficiency in freight transport. The bulk of personal mobility is provided by the car, and the bulk of freight transport is provided by trucks. 

Eliminating Serious Injury and Death from Road Transport 

Location European Nations Motorisation Rates per 1,000 Population 

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