The War on Cars The War on Cars, LLC
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- Society & Culture
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The War on Cars is a podcast about car culture, mobility and the future of cities. We bring you news, commentary and stories about the worldwide battle to undo a century's worth of damage wrought by the automobile. The War on Cars is waged by three leading voices of the livable streets movement, Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear and Aaron Naparstek. Liberate your city. Enlist today in The War on Cars.
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Car Insurance is Too Cheap
It has never been more expensive to insure a car in the United States. Today, the average annual premium for full coverage is more than $2,500, up from more than $1,700 just a few years ago. There are a lot of reasons for this—including the high price of cars, supply chain issues, and the rising frequency and severity of crashes—but no matter how you add it up it’s a huge problem in a country where driving is a ticket to full participation in society.
Despite this, what if we told you that car insurance is still way too cheap? That’s something most people don’t understand until they or someone they love is directly affected by traffic violence. Today, mandatory state minimum coverage requirements have not kept up with the rising cost of car crashes, something all of us subsidize whether we drive or not—and that crash victims often pay for with life and limb.
***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.***
LINKS:
Learn more about Michelle DuBarry and her advocacy for a Made Whole Doctrine in Oregon.
Why Car Insurance in America is Actually Too Cheap, by Daniel Knowles in The Economist.
Buy a copy of Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It by Daniel Knowles and get books by previous podcast guests at our official Bookshop.org page.
Steve Vaccaro: “New York City’s best-known lawyer advocate for bicyclist and pedestrian rights.”
Auto Insurance Spike Hampers the Inflation Fight (New York Times)
NHTSA: Traffic Crashes Cost American $340 Billion in 2019
Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store.
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This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was written, produced and edited by Doug Gordon. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.
TheWarOnCars.org
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Live from New York with Bernie Wagenblast
In January, we held our third annual live show at Caveat on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. We were so thrilled to be in the same room as so many listeners and friends of the podcast. We were also happy to welcome Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the New York City subway system, to The War on Cars. Bernie’s voice is instantly recognizable to millions of people — even if they don’t necessarily know who she is. Bernie’s personal story and the way she’s using her platform are also inspiring legions of New Yorkers and people around the world, and we were so glad she could join us on stage for some conversation and fun. Plus, don’t miss a pro-car comedian interrupting our show and Bernie reading our Letterman-inspired Top 10 list of transportation announcements we’d like to hear.
***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.***
This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code.
LINKS:
The Voice of the Subway Speaks for Herself, at Last. (New York Times)
Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the NYC subway, finding her true voice after sharing her transition. (CBS News)
Charlie Dektar on “How to Make New York City More Car-Friendly” (The New Yorker)
Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.
Buy books from podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page
Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us!
This episode was recorded live at Caveat in Manhattan on January 31st, 2024. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.
TheWarOnCars.org
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TEASER: Super Bowl Extra
***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.***
In this bonus episode, we continue the conversation we had in Episode 120 about the car ads from Super Bowl LVIII. These two didn't air during the big game, but one is a bit on an antidote to the excess of the typical U.S. automobile commercial while the other is part of a series that ran during NFL postseason games and lots of other big televised events.
The first, from a famous Dutch beer company, shows the world as we'd like it to be. The second, courtesy of Korean automaker Hyundai, shows the world where it might be headed.
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Super Bowl LVIII Roundup
In what’s become an annual tradition, we take a critical look at the car ads that aired during the Super Bowl and consider what they say about driving, culture, consumerism, and the United States… which is all the same thing, right? The big story this year is not so much which car companies chose to spend $7 million for 30 seconds of air time but which chose not to and why. (There were zero ads from the Big Three U.S. automakers; that’s the first time that’s happened in 23 years.) Still, there were still some notable commercials featuring beloved movie stars, reckless driving, and stories that tugged at our heart strings. It’s all here in episode CXX of the podcast.
***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content, merch discounts, stickers, and more.***
LINKS:
Watch all the 2024 Super Bowl commercials. (USA Today)
None of the Big Three U.S. automakers ran a Super Bowl ad this year. (Detroit Free Press)
Pick up official War on Cars merch at our store.
Buy books by podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page.
Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us!
This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Yessenia Moreno. Our special Big Game theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear and Michael Hearst.
https://thewaroncars.org/
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Should SUV Ads Be Banned?
Did you ever see a car advertisement that you thought was so ridiculously irresponsible it should be banned? Well, the people at Adfree Cities, an advocacy group based in the United Kingdom, did, and they decided to do something about it. They went up against Toyota over an ad for the Toyota Hilux SUV that shows drivers ripping through sensitive natural areas and cities—and they won, getting the ad taken off the airwaves and the streets. We talked with two members of the organization, Veronica Wignall and James Ward, about how they’re tackling the auto industry’s most egregious marketing campaigns, as well as their larger mission to create “happier, healthier cities free from the pressures of corporate outdoor advertising.”
***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.***
This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code.
LINKS:
Check out Adfree Cities and their partner organization, Badvertising.
See the Toyota Hilux ad that UK regulators deemed “had not been prepared with a sense of responsibility to society.”
It’s not too late to register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22 – 24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It will be freezing and we will be there!
Get your merch at The War on Cars store.
Find us on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and Facebook.
Follow and please review us on Apple Podcasts.
This episode was produced by Sarah Goodyear. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.
TheWarOnCars.org
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TEASER: Delivering the Goods with Shawon and Fokhrul
This is a preview of a special bonus episode for Patreon supporters of The War on Cars!
In the last episode of the podcast we spent some time with Baruch, Shawon, and their battery-swapping startup company, PopWheels. When I started working on that episode, I figured I was going to learn a lot about e-bikes, batteries, and the delivery app business. And I did. But over the course of more than a half dozen interviews and conversations between May and December 2023, I also learned a lot about Bangladeshi politics, immigration, and life in New York City as an e-bike delivery worker.
One of my favorite interviews for this episode took place on a crisp, sunny, Tuesday morning last October. I biked out to East New York, Brooklyn to meet Shawon and his friend Fokhrul, a Bangladeshi delivery worker who uses PopWheels battery-swapping network. (Shawon and Fokhrul asked me not to use their last names because they have asylum-seeker cases working their way through the legal system). We found a park bench and spent the morning talking about the political oppression they faced in Bangladesh, their arduous, months-long journey to the United States, and what their lives are like here in New York City. It was super interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. But, as often happens with these things, only tiny bits of this conversation made it into Episode 118. So, for this special bonus episode I wanted to share more of my interview with Shawon and Fokhrul with you. I also had some fun additional bits and pieces of tape with Baruch that never made it into the last episode. So, you'll find some of that woven in here too. I hope you enjoy hanging with Shawon, Fokhrul and Baruch as much as I did.
You can join us as a Patreon supporter to listen to the whole thing.
-- Aaron
Customer Reviews
Best Urbanist Podcast… or any kind
I look forward to new episodes of this podcast. They always have thoughtful and nuanced arguments and they make it interesting.
Great pod, even in the early days
Listening to the early episodes 4 years later is a reminder of how progress often is slow but also how big things can be done with consistent effort.
55457 stars!!!!
Why hello, I also hate cars. The War On Cars makes me hate them more! Academic, philosophical and funny. They take fun creative risks, too.