Car: Study shows the true cost of driving

Anyone who takes the trouble to calculate the cost of driving a car can experience unpleasant surprises. Purchasing, maintenance, fuel, taxes and fees linger - even if the car is hardly used. A new study published in the journal "Ecological Economics" now shows that probably no driver calculates the costs in full. On average, the costs borne by society alone amount to around 5,000 euros per year for larger cars.

costs that are passed on to the general public

The team led by mobility researcher Stefan Gössling examined three different types of car for its calculations: an Opel Corsa, a VW Golf and a Mercedes GLC (SUV). In the 50 years that the cars could hypothetically be used and with an average distance driven of 15,000 kilometers per year, the Corsa will cost a total of almost 600,000 euros. For the Golf, 653,561 euros would be due, for the SUV at least 956,798 euros. According to the researchers, if car owners actually had to bear these costs, only high earners could afford a Corsa.

Among the 23 factors the research team examined are some items that don't immediately catch the eye. On the private user side, the costs for a driver’s license, parking and toll fees – but also waiting times in traffic jams – add to the known costs. Air pollution, on the other hand, is borne by the general public, but so are land use, the maintenance of roads and other infrastructure, noise, the effects of climate change, as well as restrictions on people who travel by bike or on foot.

How do you convert waiting times in traffic jams to euros?

The linchpin of the study is the conversion of factors that can hardly be quantified into euros and cents. The calculation of the costs of air pollution is based on data on the impact of emissions on life expectancy on the one hand, and on surveys on how many more years of life people would be worth on the other. In this way, the unlived years of accident deaths are also included in the calculations.

Another example: The researchers put a price tag on the time lost due to being stuck in traffic by estimating the waiting time as lost working time - and thus came to at least 555 euros per year and car.

One can now object that the monetary value of lifetime can hardly be stated seriously. Or that as a commuter you waste even more time on the bus or train - if there is a public transport connection at all. But apart from such uncertainties and generalizations, the study shows that the true costs of driving are undoubtedly higher than previously assumed. In other words: In comparison, public transport, bicycle and pedestrian traffic are even better than expected. We should talk about that.