The Importance Of Transportation In The United States

The Federal Highway Administration reported that last year, Americans drove a record of 3.15 trillion in vehicle miles; while the year before, in 2014, Americans drove an average of 3.02 trillion of vehicle miles. The numbers are there, showing that the vehicle miles that Americans are driving every year are going up as the gas prices is going down. Furthermore, the general population is spending more time on the roads compare to previous years, either sitting in their own cars or on any other form of transportation. On the other hand, The National Highway traffic safety administration announced that traffic deaths in the United States increase 9.3 percent in 2015 in relation to the year before. When comparing the increase of vehicle miles Americans are driving and the high …show more content…
Those are some signs of the environment being affected by the increase of vehicle miles driven per year. The USA Environmental Protection Agency reported that "about one third of all energy-related greenhouse emission comes from transportation". The smog, carbon monoxide, and other air pollution gases (such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, just to mention some), from the combustion of petroleum products used in transportation, compromise the quality of the planet air. Since gas price is extremely low, it does not only encourage individuals to travel more often it also may influence their decision of buying a less efficient car over a more clean and ecologic vehicle, which in turn is increasing the greenhouse-gas-emission. Although the used of hydraulic fracturing methods, to accelerate the natural process of oil extraction, may be beneficial for the United State economy, this technique is being argued by geologist because its negative impact