From the birth of the automobile, one sees racing drivers and allowing different models to measure them. These competitions are growing and are emerging various types of events by implementing very different vehicles.

Some of these competitions are standard models compete commercially on a large scale, but more or less heavily modified, eg rallies or SuperTouring, while others depict vehicles specially designed for racing, such as Formula 1, or Sport-Prototypes participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Success in these sports depends both on the vehicle and the team that prepares the driver. Some classes also crowned both the best driver and the best manufacturer and the best team.

The racing can be extremely physical (centrifugal acceleration curve, acceleration and braking to) in F1, it is not uncommon to exceed 4 g. A driver can lose up to five pounds in a Grand Prix or endurance race (dehydration).

The organization of motor sport is overseen by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which works with national sports federations, including the French Federation of motorsport, which has 70 000 members. There are a variety of amateur and professional competitions, go-karting to formula cars, or slalom rally through the hillclimb and progression pathways for young competitive drivers.

Defense

If the car is criticized, for others it is rather a great piece of technology that is constantly evolving and is less polluting . It is essential for many people to work and move, the automotive industry, in which Europe and France continue to occupy an important place in the world, directly or indirectly provides employment to millions of people. Finally, drive and have a car can be fun for some and should remain a freedom which, for the vast majority of motorists, who are also pedestrians or users of other modes of transport, shall be exercised in respect of others.

Freedom of movement (in time and route) qu'octroie personal car makes indeed more flexible than public transport. Moreover, they can not meet all needs, especially in areas far from urban centers, or for any transportation charges even if only moderately heavy or bulky.

Another approach, taking into account some criticisms leveled at the car, is being developed since the early 1990s. Response to evidence in the city, an automobile that carries an average of two people, and other personal car is the vast majority of their time off, we saw the development of solutions carpooling, car sharing, or simply rent a car, all of which optimize the use of a vehicle.

Faced with these controversies, but also face financial or legal pressure exercised by the states, advocacy groups and automobile drivers are born, whether historical or recent. The most historically important are the Automobile Club, born around 1900, eg Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the Automobile Club, ADAC or which, with 15 million members, is arguably the most important worldwide. Their work involves both defense policy and practice, promoting motorsport or roadside assistance, especially for the ADAC or the Touring Club Switzerland. More recently, in response to increasing controversy and radar automatic associations claims more appeared as 40 million motorists.

controversies

Reviews

Critics of the automobile, roads every year engulf large investments disfigure the landscape, dénaturalisent territory and threaten ecosystems. According to them, the money invested in alternative means of transport or community would have more communication networks more efficient and sustainable. For some, the car is also a source of social pollution, the poorest and most vulnerable are most directly affected by the nuisance to cars and road infrastructure (noise, accidents, detours imposed on pedestrians and cyclists, urban relegation, etc.)..

Other environmental impacts


The car has other negative effects on the environment:

>>>erosion of the slopes, which results in the dust of the surrounding environment, an increase in the turbidity of runoff.

>>>direct impacts of roads on the environment, including the use of forest land, agricultural, natural, urban;
habitat destruction by earthmoving, mining materials (bitumen);

>>>animal mortality, fragmentation écopaysagère (or ecological) of natural habitats;

>>>local modification of the microclimate above and along roadsides.

>>>light pollution caused by road lighting but also by the vehicle;

>>>noise pollution;

>>>the release of toxics in the drop environnment vehicles (leaking engine oil problem
batteries in particular), or in fires;


>>>non-recycling of a significant proportion of vehicles (especially tires), even those legally scrapped.

The mass of the car in Western societies during the twentieth century has had profound social consequences many. She has contributed notably to the development of suburbs and suburbanization, and the success of the retail model. Automobiles have required considerable adaptation and development of the road network.

Energy Efficiency

According to the Transport and Environment Association, in collaboration with Topten the twelve European market vehicles that emit less greenhouse gas emissions (excluding vehicles
electrical) for 2010 sont.

>>>Toyota Prius 1.8 Hybrid with 89 CO2 g / km

>>>Toyota iQ 1.0 ECO with 99 CO2 g / km

>>>Honda Insight Hybrid with 101 CO2 g / km

>>>Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI DSG EcoFuel natural gas with 95 CO2 in g / km

>>>Fiat Punto EVO / Actual Natural Gas 92 NP 1.4 CO2 g / km

>>>Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI CR particle filter with 87 CO2 in g / km

>>>Ford Fiesta 1.25 Greenpower Natural Gas with 93 g CO2 / km

>>>Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI DSG Eco Fuel Natural Gas with 101 CO2 g / km

>>>Ford Ka Greenpower Natural Gas with 88 g CO2 / km

>>>Nissan Pixo visia / acenta 1.0 with 103 CO2 g / km

>>>Suzuki Alto 1.0 with 103 CO2 g / km

Air pollution


The environmental impact is most known air pollution due to exhaust gases, which cause respiratory diseases and contributes to global planète. With domestic heating appliances, the automobile has become the main cause of smog urban chronic situation in Asian capitals. According to the French Agency for Environmental Health Safety (AFSSET), air pollution, due to nearly a third of voitures to polluting discharges, would be responsible for each year of the death of 6 500 to 9 500 in France.

Major releases of automobile exhaust sont:

>>>Carbon dioxide CO2 contributes to the greenhouse effect, global warming and a changing climate, but is not a pollutant within the meaning of a toxic or irritating gases.

>>>Carbon monoxide (CO). It causes headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and decreased blood oxygenation. At high concentrations, it is deadly, hence the danger of leaving an engine running at idle in a closed garage. It is quickly diluted and degraded CO2 atmosphère.

>>>Nitrogen oxides (NOx). In humans, this irritant gas decreases immune defense and impairs lung function. It is the precursor to the formation of ozone in the lower layers of the atmosphere, by its decomposition in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is an irritant gas and toxic at high concentrations.

>>>Unburned hydrocarbons (HC). In humans, they cause respiratory diseases and allergies. They are the other precursors to ozone formation.

>>>The suspended particles from combustion in diesel engines. Soot particles, for example, increase the risk of respiratory disease and possibly cancer, according to studies épidémiologiques.

>>>Sulfur dioxide SO2. In countries where the sulfur content of fuels is little or no limited, it is a major contributor to acid rain.

>>>Lead. In countries and regions where the addition of lead in gasoline is not prohibited, a large proportion (between 65 and 99% of children living in areas at risk, and about 50% even among those less exposed) would be poisoned lead so chronique. The introduction of unleaded gasoline in developed countries is rapidly indeed resulted in a decrease of about half of the blood lead levels in urban adults, although less susceptible to lead absorption than children..

Benzene. Road transport in general are by far the largest emitters of benzene, and found in Europe a direct link between the decrease in maximum benzene content in fuels (halved in 2000) and a decrease in the concentration of bottom of benzene in atmosphère.

These discharges are subject to regulations in different countries, such as European emission standard Euro for Europe. These standards are attached to standardized driving cycles, such as NEDC or American counterparts to represent a typical driving behavior. The thresholds adopted by these regulations fall steadily over the years.

For a given model, a petrol car consumes more fuel than diesel volume for gasoline has an energy density lower than diesel. But also the thermodynamic efficiency of a gasoline engine is less Almost all drivers observe intakes higher than those measured under standard driving cycles in fixed, yet those who are used commercially.

Technical control


In the context of road safety, many countries have found it necessary to introduce a technical inspection of motor vehicles, which should help to improve the mechanical condition of the fleet and to take out vehicles or too dangerous pollutants. An initial check is made after 3 or 4 years, then every year or every two years depending on the country. The cost of control is highly variable, and Japan, for example, the cost of at least 70,000 yen, or 600 €, encourages users to get rid of their vehicle before échéance.