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Unit3SummaryAmericanshasaspecialfateforcars.Carsenjoyanthropomorphicstatus,someofwhichbecomemembersofthefamily,mechanicalpets.However,environmentalistsdon’tenjoythembecausecarsareautomobilespullute,kill,maimanddisplacepopulationsatacontemptiblerate.Whiletheautomobileissurelyguiltyofmanysins,itscriticschoosetoignorethatithasbeenthegreatliberator,permittingmonumentalpopulationshifts,citytosuberb,easttowest,southtonorthand,morerecently,northbacktosouth,asmillionsofcitizenssoughtimprovedeconomicopportunities.Therearemorethan175millionlicenseddriversinAmerica,wheelingnearly200millionvehiclesover3.9millionmilesofroadsandstreets.Hoppingaboardtheircars,pickups,motorcycles,motorhomesandsportutilities,theyrollnearly2.4trillionmileseveryyear.About15millionbrand-newcarsandlighttruckspourontothehighwaysannually.Tobesure,carshurtpeople,butrecentadvancesinbodystructures,passengerpackagingandbrakeshavemadethemsignificantlysafer.Thecarpollutes,butadvancesinfuelqualityandefficiency,andinmicroprocessedenginetechnology,haveradicallycutemissions.Theautomobilehasbeenthesourceofurbansprawlandfreewaytrafficjamsfromcoasttocoast.Butthefactremainsthatdriversbythemillionsareunwillingtoforgothefreedomofmovementforthepodlikeconstrictionofmasstransit.Nowthechallengeistohousebreakitasmuchaspossible,tointegrateitintoapopulationthatgrowsbytheyear,spreadingacrossthelandscape.Itwilltakeacarefulbalanceofplanningandprudence.Anyway,wohavetosaythattheautomobilewillremainthecentralsourceofpersonaltransportationinallfree,high-technologysocieties.