A lot of people bemoan cash for clunkers but it does a lot of the general level of safety and pollution on the road. A voluntary culling of select cars/trucks is generally good for the world.
Unfortunately, in the USA, you can't get to work (or even purchase groceries) without a vehicle with the exception of a few places.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Allowance_Rebate_System#Ec...
It was agonisingly painful to hear stories of freshly restored classic cars getting destroyed because of that, while countless others in much worse condition remained on the roads.
The emissions levels of cars from the 70s and 80s are just off-the-charts, compared to modern cars.