There are real dollar costs to our overall quality of life from society's health self abuse expense. Excuse the graphic image, but a car accident is generally walk away or dead, while health care for the long term unhealthy keeps bleeding once it starts.

"The motorist advocacy group AAA said accidents cost $164.2 billion each year, which based on the methodology used in the report comes to an annual per person cost of $1,051." (2008)

By comparison, some other systemic costs:

- $190 billion in annual medical costs due to obesity (2012)

- CDC reports excessive alcohol consumption cost the U.S. $224 billion (2006)

- Total annual public and private health care expenditures caused by smoking: $96 billion

- Taxpayers yearly fed/state tax burden from smoking-caused gov’t spending: $70.7 billion

- Productivity losses caused by smoking each year: $97 billion

Obesity alone or alcohol alone cost us all more than accidents. I for one have other "quality of life" things I'd like to do with my money than subsidize "self destructive" choice.

> I passionately hate people who absolutely have to drive their cars

I clock under 4K miles a year, mostly long distance trips with four or more passengers. But I'm fortunate enough to live near NYC and use public transportation. It's a lot harder in most of the US. Comparing communities across the US and Europe, it seems the best way to affect driving culture is with community layouts that put food (groceries and restaurants) within easy walking distance.