Car culture
Basics
That Viral Dodge Ad Isn’t the First Time Automakers Compared Drivers to ‘Predators’
A new viral Dodge seems like a new low for the notoriously toxic automaker — but it’s just the latest chapter in the company's promotion of the deadliest driving behaviors.
January 13, 2022
France Forces Auto Advertisers to Encourage Less Driving
A new law will require car advertisers to promote walking, cycling, and transit.
January 5, 2022
We Watched ‘American Auto’ So You Don’t Have To
Many Americans would love to watch a competent satire about the sheer absurdity and cruelty of the auto industry. Alas, "American Auto" is not that show.
January 4, 2022
Yes, Even Walmart Wants to Build Smaller Parking Lots
At the peak of its parking investment, Walmart was building six parking spaces per thousand square feet of store. But that's changed.
December 30, 2021
Op-Ed: We’re Using The Wrong Tools To Educate Drivers About Vehicle Automation
A recent J.D. Power study claimed that drivers had trouble differentiating between a “fully automated self driving vehicle” and advanced driver assistance technology. The only problem is that "self-driving vehicles" don't exist – and the terminology we most often use to talk about automated vehicle features is confusing to say the least.
An AV expert weighs in on what to do about it.
December 20, 2021
Could Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Help Heal the Scars Highways Created?
From the interstate highway system to public housing, some of America’s most discriminatory and damaging policies have been implemented under the auspices of the need for better infrastructure. A recent visit from Sec. Buttigieg highlighted what the USDOT hopes to do to reverse the harm.
December 13, 2021
Study: Most Drivers Can’t Differentiate AVs and Driver Assistance Tech
The majority of vehicle owners think that the installation of advanced driver assistance technology qualifies their car as a "fully automated self driving vehicle" — and that over-confidence could cost even more lives.
December 9, 2021
Study: Drivers Responsible For Way More Ammonia Pollution Than Previously Thought
Federal and state agencies may be underestimating the amount of dangerous ammonia emissions that cars pump into the atmosphere by as much as a factor of five, a new study finds — and maybe more in urban areas.
December 7, 2021
Dear Joe: The Electric Hummer is Not the Future
An open letter to the American president that his constant cheerleading for electric mega-cars is not only a bad look, but bad policy.
November 19, 2021
Four Ways ‘Automobility’ Shapes Our Lives — Besides Crashes and Climate
The violence of car culture extends far beyond the obvious outrages of car crashes, pollution, destroyed communities and structural racism, a fascinating new paper argues.
November 16, 2021
