Earlier in the year I was making smoothies at the energy future expo on the bike blender and chatting to people about cycling. I estimated over 8 out of 10 people said they would cycle more but it was too dangerous which I always try to dispute. I wish I had this article to show them, that was included in the latest e.can newsletter. It looks at USA data and shows the following:
Biking vs. Driving
Driving a car at 70MPH for one hour:
- 20 minutes of lifespan erased
- $35.00 per hour of money burned
Riding a bike at 12MPH for one hour:
- 4.5 hours of lifespan gained
- $100 of monetary gains secured
On a Per-Mile Basis:
- Car: Lose 50 cents and 18 seconds of life
- Bike: Gain $8.33 and 1350 seconds of life