Learning how to ride a bicycle is a timeless tradition. I still remember holding onto my son’s bike as he learned how to balance and pedal, and my father doing the same for me.
Throughout the years, bicycling has remained a hobby, sport, and easy way of transportation. It has become more popular in the recent years, and there are good reasons why. However, there are always disadvantages to riding your bicycle.
Let’s discuss the advantages first. The Huffington Post recently posted an article about why riding a bicycle makes you a better person. The first pro is it is beneficial to your health. Riding for an hour can burn at least 500 calories (more depending on speed and incline), helps your heart rate, and leaves you with a stronger core and leg muscles.
In addition, habitually riding your bike decreases fatigue and increases overall energy. Researchers also suggest that it could also add about 4-5 years on your life, too.
Second, many cities are catching on to this healthy trend and are creating more bicycle paths. Cities like NYC, Austin, Chicago, Seattle and DC have also invested money in “protected” paths, which creates wider bicycle lanes and dividers between the vehicle and bicycle lanes. The paths may not be very long—only a mile or so—but they are strategically constructed on some of the busiest streets.
Have you ever thought about how much money you would save riding a bicycle? The cost of riding your bicycle averages about 308 dollars per year. The cost of driving a car is between $8,000-$11,000 dollars per year, which means you’d be saving thousands of dollars by riding your bike.
However, there are also disadvantages. As an experienced bicycle accident attorney, I have seen too many people get injured due to bicycle accidents. The most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that there were over 700 deaths due to bicycle accidents last year. Six of those were in Missouri.
The most common (and severe) accidents are collisions with motor vehicles and occur mostly in urban areas,typically at intersections. Drivers and cyclists may not look both ways before turning, and drivers may not look beside their vehicle before turning or changing lanes.
There was a reported 515,000 trips to the emergency room after bicycle accidents, which ranged from a scraped knee, road rash, torn muscles, and broken bones.
So do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? According to the Huffington Post article, the answer is yes. The overall benefits of riding your bicycle outweigh the risk of accidents.
If you do get into an accident, remember you can always contact a bicycle accident attorney. The personal injury attorneys at Finney Law Office LLC want to give you the legal guidance you deserve to get back on your bicycle and remain healthy and happy.
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