It wont be long before my eldest is a teenager, fortunately its a while yet until he will be old enough to drive. Many teenagers in the UK simply cant afford to own and drive their own car due mainly to the high cost of insurance. Its worth considering a different mode of transport to get them around town – any one of these alternative choices could be just what you are looking for.
1. Motorbikes
Used motorbikes are an economical choice for teens because they use up less gas on the road, saving you tons of cash that would have been used to keep a car going. Interestingly, motorbikes are now often seen as being a safer mode of transportation than regular vehicles. This is due to the fact that teens and adults alike cannot text and drive at the same time. There is no way their attention can be diverted by a buzzing phone or noisy passengers; it is just them, the bike and the open road. Another advantage of motorcycles is the increased chance of developing better balance and coordination skills. Motorbikes are ideal for both short distance commutes, long distance travel and even off-road driving.
2. Mopeds
Mopeds are basically a smaller version of a motorcycle. They are far less ‘fast’ though and usually don’t go much faster than a normal bicycle. They are economically priced and require little fuel, which means that you have the chance to save a lot of money by using a moped to get you from point A to point B. In order to be able to drive a moped you will need a regular driving license but it is not necessary to have a motorcycle one.
One of the best aspects to owning a moped is its fast ability to find easy parking due to its small size and flexibility.
3. Electric Cycles
Electric cycles are handy motors to have because they can be used on the road and on bicycle lanes, which means that you can easily dodge past the long queue of traffic whenever you please. They come with a higher resale value and are supposed to take up less physical energy on the driver. According to www.atob.org.uk an electric bike can climb hills of 1:10 (10%) with ease and clear a maximum gradient of 1:7 (14%).
4. Electric Scooter
These are similar to electric bikes. They are plug-in electric vehicles that run on electric motors rather than using engines. This results in a quieter journey and because there are no vibrations during travel, the journey is incredibly smooth and peaceful which may appeal to teens. They are incredibly eco-friendly and with no vehicular emission, an electric scooter will give out less air pollution than other modes of transport.
5. Quad Bike
This option is more suited to teens who want to drive about off-road with friends or for the thrill. Quad bikes are basically four-wheeled motorbikes that are particularly popular in farms because of their versatile and tough nature. According to Gov.uk, you must have third party insurance to drive a quad bike on the road and you can only carry passengers if it is designed to do so and has the right number of seats. Although it is not compulsory to wear crash helmets, it is highly recommended.
I hope thats a useful summary of things to consider, I must admit i’m dreading the day when I have to start properly considering transport for my kids with three to cater for its going to cost us a fortune!
No Comments