The Qualitative and Quantitative Properties of Cars

By: Jennifer, Mark and Jordan

Development costs of a car can vary over a wide range, depending on many factors, such as cost of real estate. The approximate estimated cost of owning an average sized individual franchise is as follows:

- Franchise Fee $25000

- Real Estate (lease or purchase) 6000 - 350000

- Architectural Drawings 6000 - 12000

- Insurance (annual premium) 2500 - 7500

- Facility & Site Improvements 250000 - 400000

- Equipment 277100 - 375000

- Signs 1600 - 1800

- Utility Security Deposits 2000 - 8000

- Fixtures, Operational Supplies & Tools 8200 - 12000

- Training (food, travel & lodging) 3200 - 5100

- Grand Opening Advertising 2500

- Working Capital (minimum) 27000 - 81000

- Total $1625500 - 1296100

If the Federal Government reduced sales tax, new cars would be considerably cheaper. The current rate of sales tax on a new car is 22%. If you are buying a new Ford Falcon, for example, you are paying $4360 straight into the Federal Government, not to mention about $2000 to the state Government in other charges. Add all the taxes into the manufacture and purchase of a new car and the total tax on a new Ford Falcon is about $10000. A cut in sales tax would make a new family car cheaper, and would give a boost to the car industry, putting safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.

The following two charts compare the costs of owning and maintaining certain cars. In the first chart, we see the weekly cost of a personal car. The prices range from $116 to $233 whereas a business car would cost from $260 - $487 weekly.

Cars have a big impact on the environment due to carbon monoxide emissions. Many companies are trying to reduce pollution by making environmentally friendly cars. Some examples are battery powered cars and cars fueled by natural gas, which are very friendly to the environment. They cause less pollution because they would produce no carbon monoxide, so they would effect the air, and would be more efficient.

- Cars burn 50% of the world's fossil fuels

- They contribute 40% of the world's nitric acid and violate organic compounds, which create smog

- They are responsible for 70% of the world's man made carbon monoxide

- Auto air conditioning is responsible for more than 10% of CFC's that are destroying the ozone layer

- Motor vehicles account for more of the world's air pollution then any human activity

- It is estimated that 45% of cars on the road would fail emissions tests

- One 80-liter tank of gas puts 56kg.

- University of Cal at Davis scientists estimate that the use of gasoline and diesel fuel in the US may cause 30000 premature deaths annually

- Total acid rain damage to forest and aquatic ecosystems and agricultural production in the US estimated at more than $5 billion per year

- Asphalt is made from toxic tar that remains from coal and oil processing

- Burning plastic from cars accounts for much of poisonous dioxins being released

- Each year 100 million lead car batteries are discarded, releasing lead into the environment

- Carbon monoxide slows the rate which oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream. Small exposures cause shortness of breath and decreased alertness. Large amounts can kill.

- Deadly additives like lead, ethylene dibromide, benzene, toluene and xylene are added to improve performance

Cars also have an impact on people because almost everyone drives one. People need cars to go to work or school, go shopping, visit friends and family, and to take vacations. If people didn't have cars, lots of people would be unemployed, work at home, or find a job close to home. Without cars there would be designed differently and the city would be designed in a different way to accommodate other kinds of transportation.

Road rage is a negative aspect of cars on people because road rage causes accidents and fights on the road. Traffic may produce stress in a person. Also drinking and driving is a very serious and dangerous matter.

- Drunk driving is the nations most frequently committed violent crime

- Half of all teenage fatalities are alcohol-related

- A drunk driving crash costs innocent victims $26000. Comparable crime costs per victim: assault - $19000; robbery - $13000; motor vehicle theft - $4000

- The cost for injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged $67000, including $6000 in healthcare costs and $13000 in lost productivity

- Eight young people die a day in alcohol-related crashes

- About a third of all drivers fir driving while impaired are repeat offenders

People can get very upset at another driver on the road and can scream and yell, make rude gestures, and even hit someone else with their cars. People are 7 times more likely to die of traffic accidents than homicides. On the other hand, cars can bring out the best in people. An example being someone with a flat tire or dead battery. Most likely someone will stop to help them. The average American male devotes more than 1600 hours a year to his car, sitting in it, parking it, and searching for it.

Some of the new features, such as dent resistant doors on cars, prevent damage and save people money on repairs. Also the driver and passenger airbags are a very good way to prevent certain kinds of injuries. Newer cars have better pollution control every year. Child locks are very good too, because parents do not have to worry about their toddlers opening the doors. In some cars there are now on and off buttons for the airbag, just incase the need arises for a child to be sitting in the front, although they should be always seated in the back. Also, if someone is short, or you have a car that only seats two, this could be a helpful feature, because you would have no choice but to place a child in the front seat. Before in the middle of the back seat there was just a lap belt, now there are lap/shoulder belts for all seats in the back and restraints for child seats.