Considering the physical size of the United States, where people regularly travel over large distances for recreation and as a means of getting to work, it is not surprising that dependence on the automobile has become so prevalent. There is something fundamentally appealing about traveling in a vehicle that allows for sudden changes in plans and routine.

Driving is as likely to provide headaches as pleasure, however, depending on whether one happens to be speeding along on an the open-road or stuck in a traffic jam. But above all, driving can also be, and frequently is, fatal.

In 1997, 41,967 people died in highway accidents in this country, down slightly from the previous year. In addition, motor vehicle accidents cost more than $150 billion every year in medical, rehabilitation and long-term care costs, lost productivity, lost tax revenue, property damage, and police, judicial, and social service costs...