Are Cars The Biggest Risk To Our Health?

Cars have long been seen as a source of convenience. We use them to help us get around every day, and they seem relatively harmless. However, it looks as though they may be a bit more dangerous than everyone initially thought. In fact, some are even going as far as to say that cars are one of the biggest risks to our health in modern society.

Where is the evidence to support this, and why has this opinion suddenly blossomed? In essence, it stems from three separate things. One of them is obvious; cars cause accidents that physically harm people and leave them with health problems for life. But, it’s also argued that driving in a car causes issues with your physical health as well, even when you don’t get in an accident. Finally, people argue that driving takes its toll on your mental health and wellbeing too.

Cars cause severe injuries

Firstly, we’ll explore the first argument that cars cause severe injuries which lead to health problems. There are a frighteningly high number of people that get injured as the direct result of a car accident. A lot of the time, this comes from a driver hitting a pedestrian who was just minding their own business. After going through the processing after an accident, it’s typically found out that the injured party has sustained severe problems that may impact their health for the rest of their life. The same goes for incidents where two cars are involved as well. There are far more accidents on the roads caused by cars than there are accidents involving public transport or just regular pedestrians walking.

Cars create physical health problems

The second argument is perhaps the most substantial. There’s an obesity epidemic sweeping the country, and a lot of this is attributed to poor lifestyle choices. In reality, we’re spending too much time sitting down and being inactive every day. This usually comes in the form of driving around when walking would be possible. So, cars cause people to exercise less. Not only that, but sitting for long periods will lead to posture problems, which cause physical aches and pains.

 

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Cars are harmful to your mental health

The final point stems from the idea that a lot of people get anxious when driving a car. Other drivers make them nervous, which can increase any feelings of anxiety they may already be having. There’s a lot of pressure on you when you drive, particularly if you have to transport other people around as well. For many, driving is damaging to their mental health.

So, you can see that there is some substance to the argument that cars are the biggest risk to our health. Is this true? Realistically, no, it’s not. Cars are not the ‘biggest’ risk to our health, but they certainly are one of the most significant risks around. If people tried walking more, cycling, or just avoided driving as much as they do, then there would be positive changes in their health.