Give up driving says group

Do you appreciate your car enough?

By PH Staff / Monday, 23 May 2005 / Loading comments

Fancy using one of these instead?

Organisers of National Car Week, inaugurated to celebrate the car and the vital contribution it makes to our everyday lives, have -- rather bizarrely -- invited drivers to quit their cars to see how they cope without them. The week runs from 30 May to 5 June.

By encouraging drivers to hang up their car keys the idea is "to promote responsible motoring while encouraging drivers to appreciate the benefits cars bring to their modern lifestyles."

The week is timed to commemorate the anniversary of the introduction of the compulsory driving test on June 1, 1935 and also the 140 year anniversary of the 1865 Locomotive Act, which stipulated that a pedestrian with a red flag should walk 60 yards ahead of any vehicle as a warning.

National Car Week is organised by Euro Car Parts and supported by Green Flag Motoring Assistance and the Disabled Drivers Association. Information about the history and contribution made by the motorcar to everyday life, plus details of how to volunteer to give up the car for a week can be found on the Web site (link below).

The site will be tracking the experiences of a group of volunteers taking part in the activity and also provide a forum for people to discuss the issues raised by the initiative. Among the participants is poet Ian McMillan, who will keep a daily blog of his experiences getting around without a car on the National Car Week website.

Other motoring issues the week will highlight are the top ten concerns of motorists, the abuse of disabled parking bays and regular, simple car maintenance tips to keep your motor running.

Euro Car Parts marketing manager Mark Wardell said, "It seems that every day motorists are under increasing scrutiny for how they drive, what they drive and why they drive. National Car Week is about championing the responsible motorist and celebrating the contribution to our lives made by the car. If there is a genuine alternative to car journeys, we encourage people to take them, but we believe the organisation and infrastructure just isn't there to enable people to leave their cars at home."

Nigel Charlesworth from Green Flag Motoring Assistance said, "We are looking to promote responsible car use and raise awareness of the issues our research has shown motorists are concerned about, such as drink and drug driving, uninsured motorists and car crime. Motorists are forever being told of their shortcomings but rarely do they get a chance to air their concerns and raise the issues that affect them. We hope National Car Week will bring those issues to the fore."

Executive Director of the Disabled Drivers Association Douglas Campbell said, "Many of the issues facing disabled people are the same as for all motorists - the rising cost of motoring and suitable and adequate parking facilities together with abuses of the disabled Blue Badge system."

On the other hand, why not just use your car, enjoy it, and appreciate how much it means to you at the same time...?