The True Cost of Driving

Today, I took an online survey called The True Cost of Driving. When people think of cars and driving, they usually only think of the direct costs of driving. These directs costs include factors like insurance, maintenance, and fuel. yet, they tend to forget indirect costs. For example, indirect costs include factors like accidents, construction, and air pollution damage. To complete the survey I had to determine my annual vehicle mileage. I determined that I drive about 2500 miles a year and the survey calculated that the my annual cost of driving per year is about $3,375. Many American societies have become extremely dependent on automobiles as a form of transportation. I am guessing that my annual automobile mileage is pretty low compared to the millions of Americans that commute to work everyday. Decreasing automobile dependence and increasing public transportation will be a challenge in the coming years. Access to alternative forms of transportation and public transportation is becoming a dominating factor of city planners.