But cars have changed: we should resume our love affair. Deaths have fallen by three-quarters since 1970, and the newest cars — with radar detection of pedestrians and cyclists — will reduce that further. Lead disappeared years ago, petrol and diesel cars now meet increasingly stringent standards and electric cars will soon be the norm. Their contribution to global warming is small, and falling as we decarbonise electricity. Indeed, electric cars are now often cleaner than electric trains, because car batteries are usually charged overnight, when electricity is greenest.