'Transportation Overkill' and its Discontents

Claudia Dreifus interviews Edward Humes, author of the recently released book Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation.

The major theme of the interview, and the book, is the "transportation overkill" that defines American life. Here's how Humes describes that premise:

We drive these vehicles that weigh 4,000 pounds and are built to carry five people and eight suitcases, and most of the time, it’s just one person and this giant machine going to work. We’ve got transportation overkill.

Humes also reveals the inspiration for the title of the book, "Door to Door," which he says is the expectation for transportation in the United States: "Americans prefer to move door to door. They want to close one door and find themselves in front of another."

Other subjects touched on in the article include traffic safety, traffic speeds, and self-driving cars.