Are cars doing more harm than good?
Arguments
1. Cars are evils resulting from modernization, for they make people suffer rather than enjoy life.
2. Traffic accidents caused by cars not only bring death and injury, but also make people suffer mentally and psychologically.
3. Every year car owners have to pay vast sums to the exchequer: road tax, purchase tax, oil tax, etc. This is a big drain on their resources.
4. Since China has such a large population, the popularisation of private cars will only bring about 123ious social problems.
5. Cars should be done away with. We should try to find a safer means of transport which will bring joy and comfort rather than injury and death.
6. The roads are so often jammed with cars that ambulances and fire engines find it difficult to fulfil their duties.
7. People's hidden frustrations and disappointments are brought to the surface when they drive.
8. Road networks for cars have not only made cities uninhabitable, but also desecrated the countryside.
9. Cars often produce air pollution and fill the cities with unbearable noise.
10. Cars are the cause of traffic accidents. All over the world thousands upon thousands of people are killed or injured every year.
Counter-arguments
1. Motor cars are highly desirable for obvious reasons. We should recognize this and adapt ourselves.
2. Motor cars enable people to become more mobile. Without cars, the world would still consist of isolated communities.
3. If there are more cars in China's rural areas, people can get to cities more easily. The gap between town and country will become smaller.
4. Possessing a car gives one a much greater degree of mobility, enabling him to move around freely.
>5. The owner of a car is not forced to rely on public transport and is, therefore, not compelled to work locally.
6. Long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly.
7. Buses are often crowded and slow, especially during rush-hour. If there are more cars, people can get around more easily.
8. With the popularisation of cars, the suburbs will become more developed, and the downtown area will be less crowded.
9. Cars and motorists are not to blame for road accidents. Problems like too many road signs, faulty traffic lights, sudden narrowing of a street and congested parking are the real cause of traffic accidents.
10. There must be universal adoption of multi-storey and underground car parks so that car-parks won’t become a problem.
