A Doctor's View of Traffic Violence

A Doctor's View of Traffic Violence

Author: The War on Cars, LLC April 7, 2026 Duration: 56:56

We talk with a guest who knows firsthand just how destructive cars can be. Dr. Rex Tai is a physician who works in long-term care. Many of his patients are the victims of traffic violence. His experience providing care for these people has been part of his growing awareness of how our country's car-dependence creates and exacerbates inequality and division in our society and even in our global politics. We talk about all that, the effects of catastrophic injury for individuals and families, and how the public health crisis of traffic violence is just one aspect of a system that limits our mobility in so many ways, as well as dividing us from each other.

If you'd like to check out some of the organizations Dr. Tai mentions in the episode, here they are:

Los Deliveristas Unidos

WE ACT for Environmental Justice

NYC-DSA Ecosocialists

Join The War on Cars on Patreon and listen to exclusive ad-free versions of regular episodes, Patreon-only bonus content, Discord access, invitations to live events, merch discounts and free stickers!

Order our new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, out now from Thesis, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Get the book and find us on tour at LifeAfterCars.com. 

Thanks to Upway for sponsoring this episode. Use this link to sell your bike. You can also save $100 off any order of $800 or more with the code TWOC100.

Thanks also to Cleverhood. Listen to this episode for the latest discount code and get 15% off the best rain gear for walking and cycling.

TheWarOnCars.org


Imagine a world not built around traffic jams and parking lots, but shaped for people. The War on Cars is a dispatch from the front lines of that effort, a collective conversation questioning the automobile’s dominance over our cities, our environment, and our daily lives. Each episode digs into the real-world fight to reclaim public space, examining everything from the politics of a new bike lane to the history of how cars came to rule. You’ll hear from urban planners, activists, historians, and ordinary people pushing back, offering a mix of sharp analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and compelling narratives. This isn’t just about transportation; it’s about the culture and societal choices that have led us here, and the tangible, often inspiring work to create safer, quieter, and more connected communities. Tune in for a thoughtful and necessary critique of the status quo, a podcast dedicated to the idea that our streets can-and should-be for so much more.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The War on Cars
Podcast Episodes
TEASER: Live from Minneapolis! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:19
This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, plus ad-free versions of regular episodes, merch discounts, pre-sale tickets to live shows and more, becom…
Overcoming the Threat to Black Movement with Charles T. Brown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
Charles T. Brown is a longtime friend of the podcast who was last with us in 2023. We welcomed him back to talk about his important new book, Arrested Mobility: Overcoming the Threat to Black Movement, out now from Islan…
Putting the Trans in Transit with Katelyn Burns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:37
"Why are so many trans people into urban planning?" That's the question independent journalist and co-host of the Cancel Me, Daddy podcast Katelyn Burns asked her Bluesky followers, and she got an overwhelming response.…
TEASER: Why Fighting Tesla Matters with Ed Niedermeyer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, plus ad-free versions of regular episodes, merch discounts, pre-sale tickets to live shows and more, becom…
Inside the Tesla Takedown Protests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:06
Since early February, a protest phenomenon has been building steadily across the United States, springing up at scores of Tesla dealerships from coast to coast. Organizers call it Tesla Takedown. It's remarkable in part…
Cars Bad, Tariffs Worse with David Zipper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:08
Trump's on-again-off-again tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are causing chaos across the entire economy, but they're hitting the auto industry especially hard. The big three U.S. automakers rely on an integrated…
Riding the UK's Cycle Network with Laura Laker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:09
Laura Laker is a London-based freelance journalist who specializes in writing about cycling and urban transport. We talked with her about the year she spent riding around Britain on the United Kingdom's 13,000-mile Natio…