4 ms·

I'm way more scared of cars than the virus. There's no cure for automobiles, but at least there's hope of a vaccine at some point in the future.

dublinben 6y ago
>There's no cure for automobiles Of course there is. Society existed before the automobile, it will exist after it as well.
- brenden2 6y ago
  Strictly speaking there is a cure (ban cars), but it's not something that's likely to ever happen because of the cultural importance of automobiles.
maxsilver 6y ago
> I'm way more scared of cars than the virus. I'm not sure why. The Virus is currently 50x more deadly than cars (in Michigan, for example, about ~100 people die from car accidents each year, but 5,000+ people have died from COVID-19 across just half of 2020.)
- brenden2 6y ago
  Those numbers don't include secondary diseases like obesity, heart disease, cancer (and other pollution related effects), etc. You can also argue based on the comorbidity data that automobile use has contributed to the death rate from the virus. The virus might kill people quickly, but cars kill people slowly (and quickly). People are only afraid of the unlikely cause of deaths, but tend to ignore the likely causes.
- justtopostthis3 6y ago
  Got me curious. Looks more like ~1,000/yr from car accidents: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/DecadeGlanceFatals_382744_7.pdf https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/DecadeGlanceFatals_38... (Still less than I would have guessed.) Also interesting: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/michigan/michigan.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/michigan/michigan.... Curious to see how all-cause numbers will be affected. (data still supports your point - thanks for perspective.)
- standardUser 6y ago
  Right, but a pandemic like this may last 1 or 2 years. Driving a car goes on for a lifetime, and for most demographics highway driving is the single most dangerous activity they ever engage in.

dublinben 6y ago

>There's no cure for automobiles Of course there is. Society existed before the automobile, it will exist after it as well.

brenden2 6y ago
Strictly speaking there is a cure (ban cars), but it's not something that's likely to ever happen because of the cultural importance of automobiles.

maxsilver 6y ago

> I'm way more scared of cars than the virus. I'm not sure why. The Virus is currently 50x more deadly than cars (in Michigan, for example, about ~100 people die from car accidents each year, but 5,000+ people have died from COVID-19 across just half of 2020.)

brenden2 6y ago
Those numbers don't include secondary diseases like obesity, heart disease, cancer (and other pollution related effects), etc. You can also argue based on the comorbidity data that automobile use has contributed to the death rate from the virus. The virus might kill people quickly, but cars kill people slowly (and quickly). People are only afraid of the unlikely cause of deaths, but tend to ignore the likely causes.
justtopostthis3 6y ago
Got me curious. Looks more like ~1,000/yr from car accidents: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/DecadeGlanceFatals_382744_7.pdf https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/DecadeGlanceFatals_38... (Still less than I would have guessed.) Also interesting: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/michigan/michigan.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/michigan/michigan.... Curious to see how all-cause numbers will be affected. (data still supports your point - thanks for perspective.)
standardUser 6y ago
Right, but a pandemic like this may last 1 or 2 years. Driving a car goes on for a lifetime, and for most demographics highway driving is the single most dangerous activity they ever engage in.