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C00002 00002	IN DEFENSE OF THE AUTOMOBILE
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IN DEFENSE OF THE AUTOMOBILE



	At least since the nineteen forties,  there have been attacks
on  the  automobile's  role  as  the  mainstay of  American  personal
transportation, but I  am not aware  of any  systematic defense.   In
part, this is because the automobile  is so integrated into our lives
that   few  people  can  bring  themselves   to  take  seriously  the
possibility of abandoning it or even seriously restricting it. 

	However,  anti-automobile  views   have  recently  begun   to
influence government policy  in a serious way, and  even if the trend
does not reach the point of  seriously hampering the use of cars,  it
has reached the point of wasting large amounts of money and is likely
to waste  even more money in the future.   Finally, if the automobile
is to  be preserved, and  even if  industrial civilization  is to  be
preserved, it is  not too soon to start doing  something about a long
term source of vehicle fuel to replace petroleum. 

	In  this article, I would like to  make a case for continuing
to regard the automobile as the basis of the transportation system of
the United States and to  make some suggestions for preserving it and
improving it. 

	First let us summarize the arguments against the car.  I hope
I can do it fairly. 


	Let's begin  with  air pollution.   I  shall  start with  the
substantive  problem  and go  on  to discuss  some  arguments  that I
consider frivolous but seem to have considerable impact on the public
mind. 

	

	2. Impending fuel shortage. 

	3. Waste of natural resources. 

	4. Traffic. 

	5. Accidents. 

	6. Parking problem. 

	7. Encourages suburban sprawl. 

	8. Too expensive for the poor. 

	9. Not usable by children, the infirm, and the very old. 

	The advantages of the automobile are few but decisive:

	1. It  permits convenient  access to a  larger area  than any
other means of transportation. 

	2.  It permits  the transport  of rather large  quantities of
material as well  as people.  Things  wanted while travelling can  be
kept in the automobile. 

	3. It is the  most comfortable means of transportation in bad
weather, because  you  can  get  it  close  to  the  house  and  most
destinations. 

	4. It provides privacy. 

	5. It is more comfortable than many other modes of transport. 

	Let us consider the  disadvantages in detail now and  see how
important they are. 

	1.  Air  pollution.   In  my opinion,  the  1974  air quality
standards may be good enough.  It will take a while to see whether we
will be  satisfied with the  air quality  that will be  achieved when
cars  not meeting them are  scrapped, and I think  we should wait and
see.  This would mean an indefinite postponement of  the tougher 1975
standards.