by Donald McGowan

There are many benefits to choosing to take a bicycle on your travels around London rather than any other means of transport; they are much faster than walking, more reliable than public transport, (unless you get a puncture!) and cheaper and more eco-friendly than taking a car. However, there are certain dangers that one faces when cycling around Britain’s capital city, so it is up to you to weigh up the various pros and cons of cycling around London.

[youtube:Zvqb6ql6Xrw;[link:Injury Lawyer London];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvqb6ql6Xrw&feature=related]

Personal injury lawyer Stuart Kightley, of Osbournes solicitors in Camden, London has asked the question ‘is cycling in London good for your health?’ and attacks the query with some interesting numbers. As well as great legal advice, it seems that certain personal injury solicitors have a vested interest in their clients’ health and well being.

Kightley presented some facts and numbers for his study: according to his figures, there were 32,000 road traffic casualties in London in 2005, with cycling accounting for only 2% of all travel journeys but 9% of the casualties. This spelled a 34% reduction on TFL’s baseline average for the figures recorded for the period 1994 – 98, despite a huge increase in cycling in London during this period. So far, promising.

There are blatant health benefits that cycling around London can give the cyclist; Kightley states that considering the overall health dividend, there has to be little doubt that regular cycling boosts health and fitness at the same time as reducing the long term risk of illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

One calculation presented by Kightley estimates that new cyclists travelling short distances can dramatically reduce their risk of fatality (in particular due to lower risk of heart disease) by 22%. The figures assert that the health benefits exceed the risks by a factor of 20, certainly very attractive odds indeed; it would appear that every commuter should buy a bike and cycle to and from work.

No matter how cool or uncool they think that they might be seen as, Kightley also advises all those thinking of cycling around London to wear a helmet. Perhaps Londoners are more health conscious than the rest of the country, or perhaps they are just aware that London is a more dangerous city, as according to the Department of Transport, 60% of Londoners wear helmets while cycling, which is twice the national average;!

Well, there you are. Why not pick up a bike today, as cycling around London is both logically and statistically better for your health! However, accidents can still happen, so contact a personal injury lawyer in London today if you have been involved in a crash and would like to seek compensation.

About the Author:
If you are searching for a London Personal injury lawyer, or want to seek legal guidance from Personal injury lawyers in London then visit Takelegaladvice.com.

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