What’s stopping you?

Safety is the biggest concern preventing people from taking to two wheels. But it needn’t be, the figures are nowhere near as bad as some people think, and when you take into account all aspects of safety, bikes and scooters can look a whole lot better than public transport! If you think that sounds improbable, imagine it’s late in the evening in a city centre and you need to get home in the suburbs. You couldn’t have come by car because there was nowhere to park, and these days cars are so expensive to run anyway, so you have the option of a late night bus or train. That means hanging around at a bus stop or on a platform alone for ages, just as the pubs are emptying and it’s getting rowdy out there, not knowing who else is going to be on the bus or train with you. Then at the other end, you step off the bus or train on your own and have to walk 15 minutes in the dark, late at night to your front door.

But not when you have a scooter! It’s parked right in the city centre, your jacket and helmet make you completely anonymous – people can’t even tell if you’re male or female – and you can ride it directly to your front door, no vulnerable hanging around nor walking the streets on your own. And how many people ever got mugged while riding a scooter or motorcycle?

There are other health advantages to two wheelers: travel by bus, train or tube and you expose yourself to hosts of unpleasant viruses and bacteria every day, as crowds of people from all walks of life pack in tightly together breathing the same air, using the same handholds, sneezing, coughing and spreading their germs. Many days work are lost through colds and other illnesses caught while commuting, and sometimes nastier and more dangerous diseases are passed on this way. But not when you commute by scooter or motorcycle! You’re out in the air, away from others, and you’re even exposed to less of the traffic fumes than car drivers as cars pick up air from closer to the ground while you’re sitting high – fumes are heavier than fresh air so they hang around lower down.

Modern riding equipment is a great boon to safety too, with excellent protection offered by the latest bike clothing and helmets, and with good training, the right attitude and a decent quality two wheeler such as a KYMCO, safety doesn’t need to be an issue.