Why parents in Bristol are dumping their cars – BBC News

Living without a car can be a bold and even frightening decision for a generation accustomed to seeing multiple vehicles parked in front of one house.

But for dozens of parents, who have decided to go car-free to do their part to save the planet, the change has been easier than feared.

Instead of relying on cars for the school run and the weekly shop, more and more families are choosing to cycle or walk due to concerns about climate change.

Some say they save around £1,000 a year by not paying for fuel and car costs.

Jayne Wade, who lives in Easton, “burst into tears” when she first started researching the climate crisis.

Despite being aware of it most of her life, it wasn’t until after her daughter was born that she started reading what climate scientists were saying.

Jayne estimates that she saves about $100 a month on transportation by choosing a bike instead of a car.

She buys most of her food from local stores or looks for electric van deliveries.

Her daughter suffers from asthma, which is made worse by car emissions.

“When a large vehicle goes by it can often cause a coughing fit and I find that quite frightening and triggering,” she said.

“She was admitted to hospital last winter with associated wheezing and it was devastating to spend all night with her when she couldn’t breathe.

“The ward was filled with children who had similar breast problems.”

Theater producer Chloe Naldrett said it was scary when she first started cycling in Bristol with her boys, who are now aged 11 and 14, but their confidence soon grew.

“Lockdown was a great way for us to get used to cycling as there were hardly any cars,” says the 44-year-old.

“We are now very confident: my eldest likes to cycle to the gym alone.

“Most motorists are considerate of cyclists, but there are occasional exceptions. I’ve had a few close calls, either from a tight pass or a car door swinging out unexpectedly, and I’m always on my guard, especially when I’m out and about with the kids,” she said

‘The majority of car journeys are less than three kilometers.

“So when it comes to reducing our own carbon footprint, reducing short car journeys is one of the easiest things we can do, besides eating less meat and dairy.”

Although she was initially worried about how she would buy her weekly groceries, Chloe now shops locally with a trolley and says it “feels really easy”.

Juliet Jain has lived her entire life without a car. Growing up in rural Somerset was “challenging”.

She couldn’t attend after-school clubs and had to miss events with friends. To travel to London, her family had to arrive at the station hours before the train, as there were only a few buses per day.

In 1997, her brother was killed while cycling along a rural road in Gloucestershire, near where he lived.

“This was the most terrible thing that could ever happen,” the senior investigator said.

“But it made me more determined to continue cycling.”

When she had children, who are now aged 18 and 21, she found it difficult to travel by bus from her home in Downend, South Gloucestershire.

Her stroller was often too big for buses and this meant she had to plan her trips carefully.

“We were rarely able to go to places like zoos,” she said. “If we were to go somewhere like that, it would be a whole day trip, so we really had to make it worth it.”

Her husband is from the North East of England and they have only returned once in the last ten years.

“Traveling by train with the whole family is expensive,” she says. “It’s a lot cheaper to all jump in the car.”

Dr. As well as wanting to minimize her carbon footprint, Jain says there is not enough space for cars on our roads.

Myra Foster, who works in public health, has never owned a car because she has always lived in cities.

But she feared that once she had children it would become difficult to travel around Bristol.

“It got harder when we had my second child,” she said. “I still used a child seat and my eldest could already cycle.”

Not buying a car has also had a number of benefits for Myra, including getting to know her surroundings better.

“Instead of a trip to the grocery store being this horrible thing where you jump in your car and stand in line, I cycle through parks and it becomes something fun,” she said.

“When we go to the park, we walk or cycle there and often see our friends along the way.”

Although most of her family and friends are very supportive, she has received some backlash.

“Some say I could never do that, or why wouldn’t you want to drive? It’s pretty standard to get funny looks from people when I tell them we don’t drive,” she said.

Like many parents, Myra is concerned about the climate crisis.

“Our choice not to own a car is largely about the fact that we don’t want to live in a way that contributes to the destruction of our planet,” she added.