Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Car culture

The Brake Podcast: How Many People Does Car Culture Kill, Exactly?

One in 32 people around the world die from car crashes, car-related air pollution, and car-related lead exposure every year. But even the astonishing number doesn't tell the whole story.

Sustainable transportation advocates know all the stats about how many people die in car crashes on global roads every year. But what about all the deaths and injuries that car culture causes — not to mention all the other ways it diminishes and destroys our communities? On this episode of The Brake, we’re bringing you an extended interview with the lead author of a new literature review that took on the impossible task of answering that question, and offered an astonishing glimpse into the many “car harms” that researchers around the world have tried to quantify. And then, we talk a little bit about how the costs of automobility measure up against its supposed benefits — and what it will take to shift the balance sheet towards human-scaled places. Listen in, and read a shareable digest of Miner’s paper here. 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024

Long Beach Leads in Traffic Circles

Traffic circles aren't quite ubiquitous in Long Beach, but they're around. Riding and walking through the city one encounters circles in neighborhoods rich and poor, new and old.

July 12, 2024

Friday’s Headlines Take Me to the River

Politico reports that the Biden administration is investing $2.5 billion in updating aging Mississippi River locks and dams like this one in Iowa. Transporting freight by barge produces less emissions than trucks or even rail.

July 12, 2024
See all posts