I wake up one morning with a strong craving for iced coffee. Easy solution- I get up, get dressed, hop in my car, and drive to Starbucks. 

For many people, the solution is not so simple. Not everyone has access to a car or even a form of public transportation. Today’s society, especially in the US, has become extremely dependent on cars as their mode of transportation.

My daily routine is heavily dependent on access to a car. I use a car to drive to school, pick up my siblings from school, go to see my friends, run errands, and go to school-related activities, such as club meetings. 

Even though I have only been driving for around 8 months, my family quickly adjusted to having a third driver in the family. When I am without my car or not able to drive it, it takes a lot of rearranging in order for me, my siblings, and my parents to get to all the places where we need to be.

This heavy dependence on cars is something that I feel many people can relate to, especially those my age. With the increasing business of our lives between school, sports, work, and social life, we constantly have activities to be at. Without access to cars, it would be very challenging to accomplish these daily tasks. People are also continuing to live farther and farther away from their schools and workplaces, making cars one of the most convenient methods of transportation. 

Reflecting on our society’s current dependence on cars, I am grateful that both my parents and I have access to cars and rarely struggle getting to places where we need to be. It is hard to imagine what life would be like without cars. Since not all people have access to cars, I hope that access to cheaper methods of public transportation increase in the future so that people don’t have to worry about getting to all their necessary places. 

I also hope that there is more research and improvement done in creating vehicles that are cleaner for the environment so that we can help those in need while keeping the environment safe. As time goes on, it is important for our society to work on decreasing our dependence on cars and using more forms of public transportation, walking, and biking when it is possible.