Driving and of course owning a car brings many advantages, but don't for a second think it's all a walk in the park. There are numerous reasons not to have a car or even a driver's license at all. Here are some of the most striking reasons to be a non-driver:

1. No unnecessary costs

By not owning a car you save a ton of money. Sure, having to take the bus or train instead can seem like a pain when it comes to economy, but it's nothing compared to what a car would cost you. You don't have to pay for the actual car, nor do you have to pay for insurance, repairs or gas. Not having to pay these things is the dream of any car owner.

2. No maintenance

Besides the cost, maintaining a car is hard work in itself. There are always things going wrong, parts that are in need of being repaired or changed and problems occurring that will make your head explode. Not having a car saves you a lot of trouble.

3. No accidents

In 2005 there were more than six million car crashes in the United States, with more than 40,000 death cases. Driving a car is far from a safe task, so sometimes it's just better to stay away.

4. No traffic trouble

By taking the bus, train or other form of transportation you risk being late the occasional time, but you can always trust the transport to take you where you want to go. With a car, however, things aren't so reliable. You can never foresee traffic jams (which of course also affect the bus though), you never risk making the wrong turn (resulting in getting lost) and you won't have to worry about traffic in general but can concentrate on your book, laptop, the beautiful surroundings or whatever you want to instead.

5. No health issues

Driving is a lazy form of transport. If you're not going very far, walk or take the bike instead. This greatly increases your health and overall well being.

6. No additional pollution

When driving a car you contribute to the pollution of the environment. Of course, for example a bus does the same, but if the twenty people on a bus were to drive their own car instead, pollution would increase. By not driving a car you spare the environment some extra difficulties.

In other words, driving a car is not always as good as you might think. By not driving one you save a lot of things: money, your health and the environment, for starters. So if you don't own a car, ask yourself the question if you really should get one. And if you do own one already, consider reducing the time you spend in it. It's what's best for everyone!

Learn more about this author, Johan Dahlberg.
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