Being an exchange student from Europe, I obviously expected a lot of cultural differences, and I was ready and very excited to learn about the way of living in the United States. However, one thing that surprised me the most was definitely the usage of motor vehicles. In Europe, people walk, a lot, and when I say a lot, I really do mean it. We walk everywhere, to school, to work, to the grocery store, we even walk for fun when we hang out with friends. The first week here in Amarillo, I remember asking my host family if I can go take a walk to the grocery store and I got the strangest looks.  I also noticed that even though we do get our driver’s license around the same time as teens here, we don’t really use our cars as much. This difference was really interesting to me and that is why I decided to do a piece regarding the usage of cars here.

These four-wheeled vehicles have become everyday essentials  for people all over the world. In the United States, around 91% of households have access to at least one vehicle. Most people get their driver’s license between the age of 16 and 19. 

Driving to school every day might seem fun and liberating, but people tend to forget about the negative side that’s much more severe than they think. The truth is, if humans really want to save the planet they have been so cruel to for thousands of years, the place to start is regulating the usage of cars. 

Here are some reasons why teenagers should consider using cars less then they do now:

• ACCIDENTS:

Teen drivers have a much higher rate of fatal crashes. In 2019, almost 2,400 teens in the U.S. were killed and about 258,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes.

• IMPACT ON OUR PLANET

Cars cause long-term effects on the environment. They have a huge part in global warming, pollution and even affect human health.

• MISSING OUT

 So many people miss out on the beautiful journey they could have if they just decided to try using another way of transportation one morning. Driving on the same road every morning by yourself can feel a little monotonic and lonely, but using other transportation like a school bus, a bike, or simply walking can give students an adventure you will never forget. Not to mention how much money students could save by using alternative transportation. Teenagers use around 143 gallons of gasoline per year. At current prices a gallon costs about $3.50, which means they spend about $500 of gas yearly.

Many students won’t agree with this statement because they worked really hard to be able to own a car and drive it and because they believe that it is the easiest way to get to school and back home. But the fact is, that even though their beliefs are understandable, they cannot ignore all the information and statistics that show alternative transportation is the way to go.

There is no denying that cars and motor vehicles in general are such revolutionary inventions, but students should take all the negative things into consideration. So try it, take a walk with friends, explore the area and not just from a dusty car window, smell the flowers on the way to school, feel the breeze on a bike ride, or find a soulmate on the school bus.