Summer is here, and it’s the perfect time for road trips, beach vacations, and Sunday drives. But you don’t need to have a car to enjoy everything summertime has to offer. If you’ve been considering ditching your car, here are five reasons why this summer is the perfect time to do it.
Your Health
Ditching your car for other modes of transportation like walking or bicycling can be a great way to improve your health during your commute. Sitting down is dangerous. Research has shown that sitting down for extended periods increases your chance of everything from heart disease to obesity. Most of us are sitting for our commutes as well as the majority of our workday.
Instead, take a bike. Walk to work. Walk to and from the bus stop, and utilize your city’s public transportation if it’s available. Depending on your fitness level, biking can burn anywhere from 35 to 70 calories per mile. If you’re working all day, that’s 10-12 hours where you’re sitting down. That can be dangerous to your health.
The Environment
Do you know how much CO2 your car produces every year? If you’ve never tried to calculate it, the big brains at Stanford University have come up with a tool to help you. Put in your roundtrip mileage, how many days a week you commute to and from work, how much you pay for fuel and how many miles per gallon your car gets, in addition to any parking and tolls you pay, and the tool will calculate how much CO2 your car creates per year.
Ditching your car this summer can be a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
Your Wallet at the Pump
Gas prices are going up — we’re already on track for the highest summer gas prices since 2014. They’re climbing for a number of different reasons. Crude oil prices are higher, which translates into higher gas prices. That same crude oil is also a finite resource. As supplies start to dwindle, prices will continue to climb until we eventually run out. Most of the oil currently in place in the earth’s crust was created thousands of years, much of it dating back to the Mesozoic Era. You can view Smart Touch Energy’s infographic on how oil is formed below.
Ditching your car will continue to save you money as gas prices climb.
Your Wallet at the Shop
Taking care of your car is expensive. This is especially true if you live in a state that requires you to submit your vehicle for annual emissions testing. If you want to save money and improve your household’s carbon footprint, try ditching the car.
Maintaining a bike or a pair of sneakers is a lot cheaper than maintaining a car. Most of the parts for your bicycle can be easily picked up at your local department store or bike repair shop. Plus, they’re easy to install. If you’re not used to working on a bicycle, you’ll be happy to know that many shops offer free bike repair classes.
Your Wellbeing
Ditching your car isn’t just good for your physical health or the health of the planet. It can also be good for your mental health as well. Being outside has been shown to help reduce symptoms of depression, improve your short-term memory and lower stress levels in addition to other physical benefits. Ditching your car means you have an excuse to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
Ditching your car this summer can be a great way to save money and get healthier along with the benefits to the environment. If you live close to work or school, or your home city has a good public transportation system, now is a good time to consider taking that leap and ditching your car.
