When are people going to wake up to the “nightmare of the motor car” and realise that for more than half a century transport policy has been fundamentally misguided? (“Motorway travel times 30pc up on 1998”, 26 November 2002).

The trouble is, we are addicted to it, just like many are addicted to cigarettes, alcohol or worse. Although it is ruining our cities, towns and villages and making our lives a misery, killing and maiming thousands every year in this country alone, not to mention the damage it is doing to our planet and to the prospects for our children and coming generations, we cannot bear - most people cannot even conceive - of living without it.

Why are we so blind?

It is our addiction, and the fact that it is so “normal”. Everyone has a car – or wants one. And what everyone else has or wants, we want too. That is how original and free thinking most human beings are. 

We and our economy are dependent on it - just like an addict. 

Breaking our addiction to the car will require the long-term reorientation of society, of our lifestyles and aspirations. At the moment very few people are even thinking about it.

“Homo sapiens” indeed! “Homo stupidus” is more like it!!