Vehicle overdependence is when someone is reliant on their vehicle to the point of a fault. With the planet’s health in jeopardy due to excessive human oil consumption, there is no excuse for an able bodied person to be driving half a mile from their home to run an errand. An when a person’s physical health is in jeopardy because they are not getting enough exercise, there is no excuse for them to take a leisurely drive when they can just as easily take a leisurely walk. Instances like this are examples of over-reliance on a vehicle. When you are using your vehicle so much that it is contributing to the toxicity of the environment and of your personal health, you are overly dependent on your vehicle.

Vehicle overdependence has become the leading cause of pollution and carbon emissions on earth. All of the news stories on melting glaciers and stranded polar bears and ozone depletion are all a byproduct of pollution and carbon emissions. The toxicity in the environment creates greenhouse gases that cause global warming and drastically alter earth’s weather patterns, which makes earth’s future very unpredictable. Not only that, but the process of excavating oil steals natural lubrication from earth’s crust which is vital to the prevention of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Continuing to tamper with this fragile natural processes does not bode well for the health and longevity of the planet.

Relying on a vehicle too much is also having a negative effect on people’s health. Lack of exercise is being confirmed again and again as a leading cause of disease. Diabetes, stroke, heart attack and obesity are all linked to lack of exercise, as well as many more. It does not make any sense to overuse a vehicle, which is exercise preventing, in order to accomplish a commute that could have been made by walking or riding a bike. This will only serve to increase a person’s risk of disease or aggravate a disease they already have.

We have all observed the call to use our vehicles less and turn to alternative modes of transportation, but this call falls on deaf ears among some people. North America, as well as other regions of the world, are experiencing the problem of vehicle overdependence, a condition in which people are too addicted to their cars. Vehicle overdependence occurs when a person consistently foregoes the option of walking, riding a bike or even using public transportation in order to drive their personal vehicle. The reason it is a problem is because it has been linked to health and environmental issues the world over.

Being too dependent on a car has been found to be a health detriment, both physically and mentally. It is obvious that overusing a vehicle will contribute to under-using of the body. Vehicles require little to no physical strength to operate. When people give in to their urge to drive instead of do physical work to get somewhere, they miss out on the cardiovascular and muscle building activity of walking or biking, damaging their physical health. It has also been found that developing a psychological dependence on a vehicle creates a condition similar to a substance or process addiction in which a person experiences feelings of anxiety and withdrawal when they are separated from their vehicle.

The other major reason that vehicle overdependence is a cause for concern is the effect it is having on the environment. Almost all vehicles burn fossil fuels in order to run, and the emissions they release into the atmosphere are among some of the most toxic pollutants that humans are responsible for. Greenhouse gases are created by vehicles and are thought to contribute to ozone layer destruction, air pollution and the greenhouse effect. The pollution of vehicles also deteriorates quality of life for living things, as air becomes more dirty to breathe and visibility of the sky is largely reduced.