A person loves comfort, and the car provides it, giving speed of movement and lack of crush. But most people do not think about the fact that in addition to comfort, damage to nature and health is also caused. This includes air pollution from exhaust gases, and fatal accidents. This international holiday is dedicated to the promotion of the anti-car mode of movement and the use of public transport.
Who is celebrating
World Car Free Day 2020 is celebrated not only by movement activists, environmental organizations, but also by ordinary citizens who are concerned about the state of the air in the atmosphere.
History and traditions of the holiday
Opinions about in which country this action first took place vary. Some attribute this day to England (1997), others to France (1998). However, it should be mentioned that the first such actions were organized as early as 1973 as part of the oil crisis. And in December 1994, during a conference in Spain, representatives of many countries called for the periodic holding of such events.
If in the first years of the celebration only about 20 cities joined this movement, by 2001 there were more than 1000 of them from 35 states.
In France, the center of Paris is blocked on this day, and residents are offered to use bicycles. Trees and bushes are being planted in Belarus, and incentive prizes are awarded to everyone who left their cars near their homes at public transport stops. In Minsk, free travel is organized for motorists (if you have a driver's license).
In Russia, there is a reduction in the price of travel in public transport (special tickets are issued), bike rides are arranged. But not all cities of the Russian Federation participate in this action. In 2008, it was held for the first time in Moscow, but the result was disastrous. The capital's drivers did not give up comfortable movement around the city. Also this day was celebrated in Kursk and St. Petersburg. In 2009, Ufa joined the celebration, in 2011 - Krasnodar, Zelenograd, Kaluga, Samara, in 2013 - Rostov-on-Don and Yekaterinburg, in 2015 - Penza.
Have an interesting day
Task for today: Leave the car at home and ride a bike.
Where this action first took place is still unclear, but in 1994, during a conference in Spain, representatives of many countries called for the periodic holding of this event.
In Paris, the center is closed and residents are offered to ride bicycles. In Belarus, everyone who left the car at home is awarded incentive prizes. Free travel for motorists is organized in Minsk. And in Russia they reduce transport prices and organize bike rides.
Leave your car at home and ride your bike.
In 1960, the longest traffic jam was recorded on the Paris-London section of the road - 200 kilometers.
Statistics say that 80% of all millionaires prefer to buy used cars.
The Soviet car GAZ M-20 Pobeda was originally supposed to be called Rodina. However, at the time of its demonstration to the leader, I. Stalin asked the question: "At what price will the Motherland be sold?" After that, the name of the car was changed.
The only person in the UK who does not have a passport and can drive without a license is Her Majesty.
A middle-class car produces 500 grams of harmful gas every 40 kilometers while driving.
On May 30, 1986, the first accident involving an electric car and a cyclist occurred in New York City, which broke his leg. And in 1899, the first death from a car collision with a pedestrian was registered in the same city.
In the famous novel by Ilf and Petrov "The Golden Calf", the main character confidently broadcasts from the podium: "A car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation." At the time of the action of the novel, cars in cities were still a rarity. However, the words of Ostap Bender turned out to be prophecies, and today the streets of large and small cities are simply filled with cars. A large number of cars became a real problem, so such an original holiday as World Car Free Day was founded.
A huge number of cars on the streets of cities is not only a problem of many hours of traffic jams in which motorists have to stand idle. This is also the gas content of the air that our children breathe, these are the victims of car accidents. Scientists have calculated that cars kill up to 3,000 people directly and indirectly every day.
However, the demand for cars does not fall, and numerous car factories produce new car models every day.
history of the holiday
For the first time, car-free days began to be held spontaneously in different cities since 1973. True, at first the reason was not concern for the environment, but a banal fuel crisis.
However, the official history of the holiday dates back to 1995, when Days without the use of vehicles were organized in several large cities: Reykjavík, Bata and La Rochelle.
Two years later, the first national campaign took place in the UK, as a result of which residents of many cities in the country decided to give up personal cars for one day. A year later, many cities of France joined the mass company. And since the beginning of the 21st century, the initiative has been supported in thousands of cities around the world.
Today is the official date for Car Free Day September 22nd. At this time, many people leave their cars in parking lots, going about their business by public transport, cycling, rollerblading or just walking.
How is it celebrated?
The slogan for Car Free Day is simply: "The city is a space for people to live." On this day, various events are held in many cities, the purpose of which is to show people that it is possible to move quite comfortably without a personal car.
On this day, many cities significantly increase the number of buses and trolleybuses on routes. And in some places they significantly reduce the price of travel.
In addition, a variety of events are held to demonstrate to people how negatively the huge number of cars affects the environment. The purpose of these actions is to encourage citizens to use alternative methods of transportation more often, leaving their car in the parking lot.
Residents of cities get the opportunity to see how much easier it is to breathe on the streets of the city when a continuous line of cars does not move along the roads. In addition, cities are freed from traffic jams these days, and the usual way to work and home takes much less time, giving you the opportunity to spend an extra hour with your loved ones.
After all, traffic jams in the city are not just stolen time for citizens, but also more expensive goods in the store due to delivery difficulties, and the risk of not waiting for an ambulance in an emergency.
How about in Russia?
The first city in Russia to support the behavior of the Car Free Day was, of course, Moscow. The first action was held in the capital in 2008. Then other cities joined the idea to abandon the car, at least for one day a year. It is known that the actions were held in St. Petersburg, Ufa, Kursk, Yekaterinburg and other cities.
Of course, even on the Day of Celebration, roads are not completely blocked, however, the number of vehicles is significantly reduced. On this day, various bike rides are often given, and many citizens switch to public transport and bicycles on their own initiative.
World Car Free Day will be held in Moscow on September 22, 2020. This event is designed to draw public attention to environmental issues, remind about the need to reduce the negative impact of vehicles on the environment and promote alternative, environmentally friendly modes of transport.
Ecological campaign "World Car Free Day" in Moscow
According to the traffic police, in 2019, 7.2 million cars were registered in Moscow and their number is increasing by 8-10% annually. According to the TsODD, about 3.5 million cars take to the streets of Moscow every day.
The use of such a large number of vehicles harms the ecology of the metropolis and human health. According to the Moscow Department of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Protection, if Moscow refuses cars for at least one day, the amount of harmful emissions will decrease by 2.7 thousand tons.
Not surprisingly, many community organizations are in favor of limiting the use of cars. In Western Europe, similar actions have been carried out since the beginning of the 1973 oil crisis. In particular, in Switzerland, the country's authorities urged citizens to give up cars for four days.
In 1994, for the first time, a proposal was made to establish a World Car Free Day. The initiator of this holiday was Eric Britton at the conference “International Ciudades Accesibles.
Since 2000, by decision of the European Commission, the environmental action "Day without a car" has been held throughout the European Union. It is organized as part of the World Carfree Day program along with the Earth Car Free Day program.
Already by 2001, more than a thousand cities in 35 countries of the world had officially joined the movement, and their number is constantly increasing.
According to some estimates, now more than 100 million people in 1,500 cities around the world participate in the action every year. Its main motto was the words: "The city as a space for people, a space for life."
Since 2002, under the auspices of the European Commission, the European Mobility Week has been held annually from 16 to 22 September.
During this period, in many countries, public transport fares are reduced, and bicycles are offered to residents for free for movement.
Bike rides are organized, many people also use other means of transportation - scooters, roller skates, boards; at the same time, the entry of cars into the cities is restricted.
The action "Day without a car" was first held in Moscow in 2008. Similar events are organized in Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Kursk, Samara, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Tambov, Tver, Ufa, Chita and other cities of our country.
For several years, traditions of the holiday have developed. Over the years, the events of this action in the capital were held at different venues: bike rides, show programs, interactive games and sports competitions were organized. What exactly will happen in Moscow by the Car Free Day in 2020 will become known closer to the day of the action.
Last year, the Moscow Autumn Bicycle Festival, which will be held on September 15, was timed to coincide with World Car Free Day. This is one of three bike rides that took place in the capital during the year: another bike festival took place in May, and a night bike parade took place in July.
The route of the autumn cycling festival, which was chosen by the townspeople, went along the Frunzenskaya embankment from the Luzhniki sports complex to the Garden Ring, from there to Krasnaya Presnya street and further along Savvinskaya embankment again to Luzhniki. Its length was 24 kilometers.
In addition, on the eve of the Day without a car, the action "Biking to work" was held, it lasted throughout the country and lasted a whole week. All Muscovites who switched to bicycles were provided with discounts and bonuses in bicycle workshops, shops, cafes, restaurants and beauty salons that joined the action.
And on September 22, the Day Without a Car, which fell on Sunday last year, various competitions, bike tours and rides on scooters were massively held in Moscow parks.
In the pavilion "Beekeeping" at VDNKh, the competition "Walking with a bee" was held. Its participants received a route sheet with points marked on it, where they had to take a selfie with some image of a bee in their hands and publish it on social networks. The leaders of the competition were presented with souvenirs.
The thematic lesson "Green transport and alternative energy sources" was held at the Vorobyovy Gory ecocenter, where they talked about the advantages and disadvantages of using traditional and alternative energy sources in various aspects of their impact on the environment.
Ecocenter "Horse Yard" in Terletsky Park held a bike tour "Terletsky bike stories" during which you could ride a bike, and at the same time learn a lot of interesting things about the natural and historical objects of the park.
The Kuzminki forest park hosted the event “There is no road to the wheel in the forest”, the participants of which made thematic posters themselves, rode bicycles around the Upper Kuzminskiy pond, handed out leaflets “Spend a day without cars”.
A bicycle tour was also held in the Izmailovsky Forest Park, where they told about the history of the natural and historical park, about its characteristic flora and fauna.
In Zelenograd, an ecological and local history route was organized on scooters through the park of the 40th anniversary of the Victory and the arboretum, the participants got acquainted with the sights of park architecture and learned about the features of the landscape design of parks and the features of their woody vegetation.
Many events of the environmental campaign "World Car Free Day" by September 22, 2020 will be held in Moscow this year as well. Planned test drive and races on environmentally friendly modes of transport (electric cars, bicycles, electric scooters), the work of sports attractions, a concert program. This action will be attended not only by activists of the movement, environmental organizations, but also by ordinary people who are concerned about the state of the environment.
A car has long ceased to be an attribute of luxury; today, for many people, it is the most comfortable means of transportation. Today, almost every family has one or even two cars.
Purpose of the holiday
The presence of an “iron horse” relieves a person of the need to adapt to the schedule of public transport, experience pressure during peak hours, getting to work and home. Personal transport makes it possible to comfortably make various trips, freely organize any activities related to movement.
In addition to the advantages that people are accustomed to receiving by using their "iron friend", there are disadvantages of using it. First of all, it is air pollution by exhaust gases. Experts have calculated that if the residents of Moscow refuse to use personal cars for one day, then harmful waste into the atmosphere will be reduced by 2,700 tons.
Constant traffic jams are another significant disadvantage of using a car. They not only steal the time of drivers, but also negatively affect the state of their nervous system. Hypodynamia, which suffers from car lovers, also negatively affects their health. Not happy with the statistics that provide the sad facts of the increase in the death rate of people in car accidents.
World Car Free Day aims to draw public attention to the problem of the negative impact of cars on nature and human health. He calls for at least once a year to abandon the use of cars and choose alternative means of transportation: cycling, public transport or walking.
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Story
Switzerland was the first country to implement a Car Free Day. It was there, in 1973, that the country's government, in connection with the fuel crisis, called on residents to stop using personal vehicles for 4 days. After that, similar actions took place around the world over the next 2.5 decades.
In 1997, an action to refuse the use of cars was held in England. The following year, France held a Car-Free Day.
Belgorod became the first city in Russia to hold a one-day action of refusing to use personal vehicles. It happened in 2005. The following year, this initiative was supported by Nizhny Novgorod. Moscow has become a permanent participant in this action since 2008.
Holiday traditions
Traditionally, on this holiday, people use alternative means of transportation: by bicycle, public transport, on foot. In Moscow, on this day, public transport costs half the price.
In many cities of the world, bicycle demonstrations are held on this day: cyclists dressed in bright costumes ride around the city on a par with motorists.
Mass media strongly support the action without a car. Doctors from the TV screen broadcast not only about the harmful effects of exhaust gases, but also note the harm caused to the nervous system as a result of constant traffic jams and accidents, they talk about the negative impact of physical inactivity on people's health. There is also an economic benefit in refusing to use a car: you do not need to spend money on gasoline, repairs, technical inspection, auto insurance. Of course, completely giving up the use of a car is unthinkable for most people, but even a one-day promotion will help save the budget.
Currently, the Day without a car, unfortunately, is not very popular. But I would like to hope that over time people will appreciate the holiday and begin to support its traditions.
Recently, an increasing number of countries have been celebrating World Car Free Day every year. What is the reason for the appearance of this date and what events are taking place in different countries? We will observe the celebration of this day in various parts of the country and the world.
Share history
In 1973, at the height of the fuel crisis, the Swiss authorities invited citizens to spend one day without a car, using bicycles and public transport. A few years later, the idea came up to make an annual campaign calling for less use of personal vehicles. The idea was picked up by different cities: Reykjavik, Bath, La Rochelle and others. The action was gaining popularity due to the environmental situation and as a way to “Give up the car for at least one day, improve your health by walking or cycling, use public transport and reduce the flow of cars” - this is how car owners were encouraged to participate in the events.
In 1994, it was proposed to celebrate World Car Free Day on September 22, an initiative supported by many EU countries. In Russia, such an action was first held in 2008.
World Car Free Day in different countries
As part of Car-Free Day, countries offer various promotions to motivate drivers to leave their "iron horses" at home for at least one day a year. In many cities, the cost of travel on public transport is reduced, the cost of travel in the subway is almost halved.
Following the example of San Francisco, more and more countries hold cycling demonstrations on September 22: cyclists in colorful suits ride along the city streets along with cars, demonstrating that this method of transportation is more environmentally friendly and healthy, besides, it does not interfere with motorists in any way.
Many countries on this day restrict the entry of cars into the city, forcing their owners to take a walk.
With the development of social networks, support for the action with the help of photos is gaining popularity. It is suggested that you take a picture of yourself walking or cycling and put it online with a hashtag, for example, "# day without a car" (each country has its own options).
In Russia, the action is more popular in provincial cities than in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but every year there are more and more fans of the Day Without a Car.
Media coverage of the event
World Car Free Day is becoming more and more popular every year. How do supporters of the action draw attention to it?
First of all, of course, with the help of Healthy lifestyles are now in vogue, and the stories of doctors from TV screens or pages of magazines remind us of the harm caused to humanity by a huge number of cars. This is the harmful effects of exhaust gases, and the weakening of the muscles due to low mobility, and the breakdown of the nervous system due to constant traffic jams and numerous accidents.
Articles on the web also make arguments from an economic point of view. Car maintenance is the purchase of gasoline, repairs, technical inspections, various gadgets. Even one day of travel by public transport will significantly save the budget. And if you get on foot or by bike - it's completely free.
Ecologists, concerned about the deplorable state of the environment, which is exacerbated by the emission of exhaust gases, conducted a motivational study. It turns out that in Moscow alone, thanks to the fact that World Car Free Day was held in 2014 on September 22, the air became cleaner by as much as 15%!
Working with the next generation
For several years now, Russian schools have been holding special events calling for doing without vehicles at least once a year. World Day Without a Car at School is an interesting issue of wall newspapers, cycling competitions, races for various distances and hiking. Medical workers are invited to the children, who tell how much more useful it is for the body, for example, to walk to school than to drive a car.
In many cities, they tell what a World Car Free Day is in kindergarten. Educators tell the children how a car can harm, conduct outdoor games, and also encourage parents to join the action.
Public opinion
World Car Free Day has both fans and ardent opponents. Someone gladly refuses personal transport for one day, someone does not consider it possible. Of course, every inhabitant of the Earth is concerned about environmental problems and understands that millions of tons of exhaust gases worsen the situation every day. They count everything and the money that is spent on the maintenance and service of even the simplest car.
But according to surveys, only a small part of drivers are ready to give up their personal vehicle for at least one day, not to mention making it a lifestyle. A car is an opportunity to get from one part of the city to another in the shortest possible time. For parents with children, their own car is an indispensable assistant, thanks to which you can be in time for kindergarten, school, work, and numerous clubs and sections.
But still, the idea that in some cases you can do without a car deserves attention. And I would like to hope that giving up your personal car for at least one day a year will become a tradition that will benefit people and help solve environmental problems.
