Contributed Post
Oh, the joys of the open road! Feeling the wind in your hair, enjoying the thrill of acceleration and learning to master the handling of your vehicle. While you might think that we are discussing cars here, you’d be wrong; it’s bicycles that are seeing a resurgence upon roads across the nation with people with commuting by bike increasing by a whopping 62% across the United States between 2000 and 2013. Why is this? Have people all of a sudden realized a penchant for two wheels or is there something more profound going on here? Take a look at why you should consider swapping your four-wheeled motor for a more modest set of wheels.
Cost
It goes without saying that the cost of running a bicycle is infinitely cheaper than driving a car. Even if you have a car that is ridiculously economical on fuel, it won’t be able to compete with the humble bike. The most you will be forking out for your bicycle will be an annual service and maybe a tire or a chain here and there. Bicycles are magnificent feats of engineering that cost very little to run, can be stored in your garden shed and used to commute to and from work in any weather.
Safety
While you might think you are more protected in a car with their airbags, side impact bars, and ABS technology, you mustn’t forget the types of accidents bicycles and cars find themselves in. In the UK in 2014, there was one death for every 29 million miles cycled. This shows just how safe cycling can be especially with the newer cycle lanes emerging and greater road awareness. Driving a car will make it much more likely that you will need a law firm to handle your personal injury case should you be involved in a collision as 2.35 million people suffer some form of injury each year in road traffic accidents. If you want to be safer on the road, choose a bike instead of a car.
Eco-Friendly
With a significant push for greener and more sustainable ways of living, it makes sense that the bicycle stakes a claim for an eco-friendly way to travel to and from work. Diesel guzzling SUVs are much more damaging to the environment, so much so that some cities are imposing tariffs on those people who want to add to the pollution of urban environments through the running of their vehicles. Opting for a bicycle instead will not only limit your carbon footprint, but you will also become fitter and healthier for the change in transport.
Cars are fantastic pieces of machinery that still have a place in today’s society. You can’t visit your parents twelve hundred miles away by bike. This is nonsensical, and a car is the obvious transportation of choice in this instance. However, for daily twenty minute commutes into work and within city centers, bicycles can reign supreme as the vehicle of choice. So why not consider whipping on your bicycle clips and hanging up the car keys for a change.
