orth Americans are in love with their cars. And why not? They give us independence, are convenient and save us time.
Or do they? What feels like independence is actually a dependence on your loved one. Maintenance costs, breakdowns and a steady stream of gas to keep it going; sounds like a dependent relationship.
Convenient? It's not particularly convenient to find a parking spot everywhere nor is it convenient to have to park several blocks away from your destination. Time is of the essence, which is why we have so many 'time-saving' devices and machines. But have we really saved ourselves time?
Of course, our lack of time has to do with a number of factors, not only the car. But is the car really saving us time when we use it to drive to our 1 hour workout after a day full of car trips, many of which could have been substituted by walking or cycling?
Incorporating aerobic exercise into your day isn't as hard as it seems from sitting behind the steering wheel of a car. Depending on where you live, where you work, where your kids go to school, you could, with some adjustment, build cycling into your day or at least every other day.
Cycling isn't just for people without kids; many working parents are willing and able to cycle their kids to daycare or to school and cycle on to work. Sure, it isn't for everyone but even using your bicycle to get around even just for 1 day a week has benefits.
For instance, you'll be saving money. Owning a car, fuelling it and maintaining it can cost, according to the Canadian Automobile Association, approximately $5,800 (fixed costs) and an additional $1,200 for operating it. That can be a significant proportion of someone's income.
Compare this to the cost of a bicycle. A new one can cost from $300 to $1,000 with a yearly maintenance cost of less than $200. No gas required! Just calories you don't have to work off in a gym.
Ah yes, and then there is the health issue. Our cars give us real value for our health dollar in an inverse kind of way; not only are you sitting while you're driving your car, you're also likely to be somewhat stressed out and adding yet more air-borne pollutants to the smog that hangs around the Ottawa-Carleton region.
Human illness and premature death have been linked to the presence of airborne pollutants in a multitude of studies all over the world. Health problems from exposure to sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and other, more complex particles are associated with health problems such as asthma and lung disease.
Think about it! Getting out of your car, at least some of the time, would leave you more nimble, less cranky and less polluting. Did you know that the half a million people who use bicycles for primary transportation in Ontario reduce pollutants in the province by about 80,000 tonnes a year? This saves the equivalent of 156 million litres of crude oil at a cost of about $80,000,000 each year.
While you are mulling over those figures, dust off your bicycle seat, fill up the tires and take it, instead of your car, to the video store. Granted, you probably won't be selling your car after reading this, but just maybe you'll use your beloved car less (thus keeping it longer).
So, fall out of love with your car just a little bit and into love with your bicycle. Once you start reaping the benefits of cycling, you'll wonder why you didn't start earlier.