Media post: Reasons Why You Should and Shouldn’t Own a Car

Car ownership remains divisive. You might have a vehicle and love it. Maybe you make that car your identity. However, perhaps you don’t have a license, and you don’t like driving.

You can own a car or not, but you should weigh the decision carefully. Compelling reasons exist why you should or shouldn’t own one, and we’ll discuss both right now.

A Vehicle Might Hit You While You’re on the Road

First, let’s discuss why you might not drive or own a vehicle. If you drive, you must assume some responsibilities. You must follow traffic laws and make sure you don’t do anything dangerous while operating a vehicle.

If you’re on the road, though, you don’t know whether you might encounter a bad driver, even if you follow all traffic laws. A car might hit your vehicle and hurt you. That won’t happen if you never get your license and stay off the road.

If a car hits your vehicle, you might take legal action. In most states, you must file car accident lawsuits within three years or lose your chance. You can avoid all that by never driving. It’s something you should at least consider.

You Might Cause an Accident if You’re Not a Confident Driver

Someone might hit your car while you’re on the road, or you may hit someone else. Maybe you get your license, but you never drive confidently. You’re out there, but you’re always worried you might cause a wreck.

If you drive cautiously, you’ll probably remain safe, but overly-cautious driving sometimes causes problems as well. You can cause accidents when merging or doing other activities in heavy traffic.

Some people get better behind the wheel over time, but others never become confident. They dread driving and even develop PTSD sometimes if they must navigate through a major city’s rush hour traffic every day. Not everyone feels secure weaving through New York or LA traffic on major highways with beeping horns and frantic cab drivers.

Cars Aren’t Cheap

You must also pay as a car owner, and not just the initial purchase price. Cars cost money every day. You must keep gas in one unless you bought an EV.

You must maintain the car, and you need insurance as well. If you didn’t buy the vehicle outright, you have a monthly bill. Maybe you find that annoying, especially if you have many other bills as well.

It’s Hard Getting Around Without a Car

On the other hand, if you don’t drive, that’s sometimes difficult. You must use public transpiration all the time. Maybe that works sometimes, but what about living places with limited trains or buses?

If you have many public transportation options around you, you can use them, and you may feel fine with no car. If you reside somewhere relatively rural, though, you probably need a vehicle. Getting along without one probably means you can’t get a job outside the home.

You also can’t load up the car when you need things. You may have a Sam’s Club or a Costo membership, but you can’t stock up without enlisting a friend or relative’s help. You must borrow their car or get a ride.

Whenever you must run an errand, you need a vehicle. Whether that’s a hardware store run, picking up dinner, or anything else, you only have public transportation or friends and relatives with cars. That might get tedious before very long.

You Limit Your Options with No Vehicle

If you have no vehicle, you can’t take off anytime you like, either. Most people don’t take spontaneous vacations or travel across the country without planning things out beforehand, but you always have that option with a car in the garage.

Cars mean freedom and opportunity. You have a vehicle, and that means you might visit a relative two states away any time you like. You may visit Disneyland or the Grand Canyon. You can do that any moment the urge strikes you when you have a car ready and waiting.

Owning a car and not owning one both have their advocates, and you must consider your lifestyle. If you live some places with abundant public transportation and you can work from home, you may not need one. You can save money that way.

If you want the freedom a car provides, though, you may feel vehicle ownership makes more sense. You might reach a time when having a car becomes the wiser move.