The problems with driving in the UK

Not a car hater

Unlike a lot of the car skeptics, I'm not anti-car, in fact I actually quite enjoy driving and I'm somewhat of a car guy myself. However, there are certainly some problems with cars and driving in the UK. Some of the problems are not down to cars themselves, but rather urban planning which has created an overdependence on them.

I'm certainly not advocating for a demolition of the roads since they are still required for non-car vehicles like bikes (assuming there are no cycle paths), motorcycles, vans, buses, and lorries.

Pricing

Let's face it, owning a car is very expensive. Aside from the car itself, you also have the cost of insurance, fuel, road tax, breakdown cover, maintenance, parking, tolls/charges (e.g., Congestion Charge, ULEZ, Dart Charge), and a valid MOT (an MOT is an annual vehicle inspection mandated by law). There's also the cost of learning how to drive.

The irony is a lot of jobs are only accessible by car or involve driving a vehicle.

Environmental Impact

This isn't a huge surprise. Petrol and diesel vehicles emit gases like Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide - CO2 contributes to global warming and air pollution also impacts our health. Electric Vehicles aren't a magic bullet either because although the car itself doesn't emit CO2, you have to factor in the carbon footprint involved in producing these cars, building charging stations, and actually charging the car. Is the electricity generated from a clean source or a polluting one?

A consequence of going fully electric is the waste produced when petrol and diesel cars become obsolete.

Drivers

Some drivers just shouldn't be on the road, need I say more? While most drivers are sensible, it only takes a few inconsiderate jerks to cause accidents (some of them fatal), traffic jams, and rising insurance premiums. I feel self-driving cars will make people even more careless, which is a problem because the technology is not infallible and drivers still need to intervene in case the system goes wrong.

I don't think the problem is as simple as speed. Many German Autobahnen (motorways) have no hard speed limit and driving in Germany is relatively safe because of strict rules, decent alternatives to driving (meaning less people are on the road), and the fact German drivers are probably more sensible than British drivers.

Depending on the situation, driving too slow can be just as dangerous as driving too fast because it can prompt other people to overtake when it's not safe to do so or cause fast traffic to slam on the brakes.

The Illusion of Convenience

This is a double-edged sword. The main appeal of a car is convenience because you're not dependent on the schedule of public transport, but the convenience really depends on where you're going and when you're going. It might take 40 mins to drive somewhere under normal conditions, but over an hour if there's an accident or just heavy traffic.

Cars first, people second

The decline of the British High Street is largely attributed to the rise of Amazon and online shopping, but another factor I feel is the transition to retail parks. Retail parks definitely make sense for certain businesses like IKEA, Costco, and B&Q where you're buying large items or a lot of items that require a vehicle to transport reliably, but many high street businesses (shops, restaurants, cinemas, leisure centres) have moved out to retail parks as well.

You could argue it doesn't matter as long as the shops sell what people want. However, the location can make a difference as to whether people shop there. Unlike a high street, local market, or shopping centre, retail parks are ugly, have no atmosphere, and are less accessible to people who don't drive.

Generally speaking, places with more people feel safer and are more pleasant to be around.

Snobbery

A pretty minor point, but in the UK, cars are seen as a symbol of prestige. I've met a lot of people who get a new Audi or BMW on finance, only to say "a car is just for getting from point A to point B". If you only care about getting from point A to point B, why are you going into debt paying for a brand new vehicle that's rapidly depreciating in value?

The truth is even if you're not a car enthusiast, there are many things to consider when buying a car, but a lot of people are more concerned with status than practicality or they are misinformed on what makes a car practical. SUVs might seem more practical due to having more boot space, but you can't always make use of that boot space (let's say you're carrying a really long item), and in exchange you have a car that burns more fuel, has more wear on the road, takes longer to stop, and makes it harder to park.

There's also a stigma associated with people who don't drive, even though having less people on the road makes driving safer and faster.