Driving a car instead of walking, biking or using public transportation is really not eco-friendly, but what’s even worse is driving a car by yourself. It’s expensive, it consumes a whole lot of energy and emits way a lot of emissions. It also takes a lot of road space, as Latvian cyclists have demonstrated here. In order to highlight just how much space it takes, a branch of the bicycle advocacy group Let’s Bike it recently created a visual reminder. They fabricated bamboo skeletons with the shape and size of actual cars, then cycled the streets of Riga to highlight the absurdity of using a car to move a single person.

It seems a bit silly, doesn’t it? Wasting all that space… well that’s exactly what you’re doing when you’re driving alone. Are you the only one in your car and you’re annoyed by the traffic? Well, you shouldn’t really be annoyed because you’re part of the problem. So please, consider the environment, consider your health, and consider the rest of the drivers. Avoid driving alone. Rideshare with your colleagues, try to take the local bus, or even cycle or walk. If you really can’t do any of those on a regular basis, then at least consider doing it once or twice a week — it can make a massive difference.

The stunt was organized as part of European Mobility Week, an ongoing campaign that explores sustainable urban mobility around Europe. We here at ZME Science encourage people to walk or bike more instead of driving, or even using public transportation. It greatly reduces your carbon footprint, it’s healthier, and you’ll be helping clear out the city streets.

Image credits: Artūrs Pavlovs/Let’s Bike It