Car culture
America’s Most Toxic Car Ads: Get Out of Dodge
We had a lot of repeat offenders in our pool of submissions for this contest, but seemingly none was quite so offensive as this automaker, which constituted roughly a quarter of the haul.
And if you know anything about car ads, can probably guess we're talking about Dodge.
September 10, 2021
How D.C. Might Kneecap Its Micromobility Revolution
A plan to limit shared scooters and bike operators in the nation's capital has some advocates wondering why micromobility providers are again being held to higher standards than drivers and automakers.
September 9, 2021
America’s Most Toxic Car Ad: Hummer EV vs. H3
As Americans come down from the sugar high of Labor Day Weekend sales at the auto dealership, we're looking at two bad ads for the same vehicle: one electric, one an original recipe gas-guzzler, both ultra-fatal to vulnerable road users in the event of a crash.
September 7, 2021
Op-Ed: Is Car Culture Is Getting Even Worse?
Cars are their own worst monster, and they will dodge on their last legs like a boxer on the ropes until the very end. No, cars will not go gently into that good night. They will lie, cheat and growl their way to the grave.
September 6, 2021
What If Drivers Had to Follow Scooter Laws?
It seems like there's a story every other day about an exciting new traffic law aimed at curbing the most dangerous behaviors on U.S. roads. The only problem? They're almost exclusively aimed at the riders of electric push scooters — not automobile drivers, who are responsible for almost all deaths on our roadways.
August 31, 2021
America’s Most #ToxicCarAds Are Rolling In; Submit Yours Now
Last week, we put out our initial call for nominations in our quest to find America's most aggressive, violent, and all-around toxic car commercials. We're still looking for your worst — but we thought some Streetsblog readers could use a little inspiration first.
August 26, 2021
OPINION: In Car Culture, Crash Victims are Always Blamed (Even By Loved Ones)
First, a driver hit me. Then many in my social circle implicitly blamed me. That’s reason enough for examining our deadly deal with the automobile.
August 17, 2021
Study: Success of Drunk Driving Laws is Limited … If Drivers Have No Alternatives
Lowering the threshold for how much a driver can drink before he gets behind the wheel may not actually make our streets safer — at least if communities don’t provide people who imbibe other ways to get around besides driving, a new study suggests.
August 16, 2021
OPINION: Muscle-Car Makers Market Mayhem
Dodge sells its Chargers with images of road recklessness and — whaddya know? — some Charger drivers copy the ads. It's time for the dangerous appeals to end.
August 16, 2021
Talking Headways Podcast: Saved Mental Energy
This week we're joined by Melissa and Chris Bruntlett to talk about their book, "Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives." We chat about the ambient stress and anxiety created by auto-oriented cities, the mental energy saved by car-light spaces, and the difference between engineering and ecological resilience.
August 12, 2021
