Harder Better Faster Stronger

Cars

According the the World Health Organisation, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged between 15 and 29 years old. Up to 50 million people suffer injuries from car accidents every year while one person every 25 seconds is killed by a car.

Cars kill more people than wars. So why do we desire these dangerously fast machines that inevitably cause injury to others? Why do we even manufacturer cars for the road that can go fast enough to kill so easily?

It is possible to buy cars in the UK that can reach mouthwatering speeds of over 270mph on our roads, yet we are setting speed limits of 20mph in cities in a bid to reduce road deaths. ‘Pedestrians hit by a vehicle driven at 20mph are five times less likely to be killed than if they are hit at 30mph’ according to the London mayor’s office.

Because of traffic and car congestion, average car speeds in major UK cities average at around 8mph according to a study by In-Car Cleverness. Whereas in London, the average speed is slumped at around 5mph. So why are people still buying cars that can reach speeds of up to 270mph for these roads?

The lethal nature of the cars we manufacture is not something that is discussed and perhaps should be. 

Faster is not necessarily better when it comes to road cars, in fact slower is better if we want safer, more energy efficient and pleasant roads. Car manufacturers could be focusing on much more interesting car attributes such as internet integration, AI, comfort, safety, entertainment, sustainability etc. rather than making cars bigger, faster, stronger and by default more lethal to the human body. 

With the younger urban generation turning their backs on driving cars, to focus on flicking through their dating apps or social media accounts while on public transport, perhaps the 20mph self driving car doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Perhaps is makes sense that smarter, slower and safer car models should be the future of the industry.

November 2018