by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
It is being said that the average driving speed in towns and cities in Britain is – not counting the boy racers – around six to ten miles an hour (obviously accounting for stops, snarl ups, tail backs and all that).
At a speed like that a bicycle will beat the car any day and the average speed given for the average American is about the walking speed of the average fit person. I, for one, can walk, at a steady pace, at four miles to the hour, at least and that means that many a journey can be made by foot quite well.
In fact most journeys to the shops – in towns, cities and suburbia in Britain – can be made easily on foot or by bicycle as most are never ever anywhere near the “average” five mile distance so often quoted.
Too many people will get into their cars to go less than two miles to the shops to buy milk and the newspaper and getting there then spend another mile or so driving aroun d looking for a parking space. Stupid? I sure think so.
In the time that they drive about they could have walked there and and back easily and, at the same time, could have gotten in some exercise as well, improving their health.
© 2010
