Classic Auto Classifieds

a persuasive essay, which presents your opinion on, whether old cars should be allowed to stay on the road?

Please write short essay, which presents your opinion on, whether old cars should be allowed to stay on the road Regards,

Public Comments

1. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/11/1120.asp
2. Sure, old cars should be allowed to stay on the road. Just because a vehicle is older does not mean it is no good. Many older vehicles get better fuel mileage than newer ones, and spew fewer emissions than newer ones, especially when considering SUV's. Years ago, they had vehicles that got 50 mpg or better without using hybrid technology, and many are still in use and on the road. So these cars get better fuel mileage than even the best technology being used by auto manufacturers today, so which should be allowed on the road, a brand new SUV that gets 12 mpg highway, or a 20 year old vehicle that gets 55 mpg? Saying that just because a vehicle is however old means it should be taken off the road is similar to saying that because a person reaches a certain age, they should not be allowed to live any longer. It just doesn't work that way. Besides, most classic cars are used only on ocassion, whereas a gas-guzzling SUV is used every day, getting poorer guel mileage than the high-performance classic muscle car. So which is really worse for the environment?
3. Those who wish to remove vehicles over a certain age often lump very old cars together with those that are not so old. This is mistaken. A typical new car in 1927 used mechanical brakes, had a six volt lighting system that all but guaranteed poor lighting and a wooden framed body over a steel chassis. There was no attention given to any kind of safety feature beyond the mere presence of steering, suspension and brakes. The year 1935 saw a peak in the death rate per passenger mile in the United Kingdom and a similar peak occurred in parts of Australia the following year. Some have ascribed the decline in death rates to greater use of steel in car bodies and the introduction of hydraulic brakes in many models in the mid 1930s. These features were all but universal by 1947, as was the use of safety glass and a new car then was safer than a 1927 model. By 1967 many new cars in the USA, Europe and several other markets offered crumple zones with reinforced passenger accomodation, lap-sash seat belts fitted as standard, safer dashboard design, collapsing steering columns, hydraulic brakes with dual circuits, superior radial tyres, effective electric windscreen wipers, warm air blowers to clear windscreens and better lighting. By 1977 most of these features were universally available. In 1987 all these systems had been improved but apart from anti-lock braking and air bags in some models little had changed since 1977. In 2007 the situation remains similar. Further inprovements have included better seatbelt design with automatic adjustment and locking and the greater use of anti-lock brakes. In some more expensive models, active control which is intended to reduce uncontrolled skids has been introduced. A 2007 model is vastly safer than a 1927 or 1947 model. However, with the elements of most of the safety systems in place in by 1970, it is difficult to see how the 2007 model is much safer than the 1987 model or indeed the 1977 version. Another question that might arise is that of pollution. There is no doubt that engine control by microprocessor, better combustion design, fuel injection and the use of catalytic converters has reduced pollutant emission. However in most markets anti-pollution equipment such as exhaust gas recirculation, air pumps, fuel vapour control and positive crankcase ventilation were introduced from about 1970 on. Thus a 1980 engine in good condition emits less pollutants than a 1960 engine of similar size and power rating. But the number of vehicles more than 40 years old on modern roads is vanishingly small, so there is little point in banning them since their contribution to total pollution is likewise small. While 30 and 20 year old vehicles are more common, the numbers of them in daily use is still small and most of them include some anti-pollution equipment. Their contribution to pollution is small compared to the large numbers of vehicles under 10 years old. So it appears to be pointless to remove them as well. The main factor in both safety and pollution is overall condition.