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Bicycles outsold cars in every European country except Belgium and Luxembourg in 2012 due to economic struggles and government encouragement. The Netherlands has cycling “school buses” and Denmark has motorways for cyclists. In 2012, over 133 million bicycles were produced worldwide, while only 1% of US commuters travel by bike compared to 30% in the Netherlands and over 50% in China. Germany bought the most bicycles in Europe in 2012.
Bicycles in Europe are so popular that in 2012 they outsold cars in every European country except Belgium and Luxembourg. In Spain, 2012 was the first year that bicycles outsold cars, while in Italy it was the first time since World War II. The popularity of bicycles in Europe during the early 21st century is thought to be due to economic struggles in European countries, which helped car sales hit a 20-year low. European governments have also encouraged cycling. For example, in the Netherlands, there are cycling “school buses” – children on a 12-person bicycle platform driven by an adult – and in Denmark, there are motorways reserved for cyclists.
More information about bicycles:
In 2012, the bicycle was the most popular form of transportation in the world, with over 133 million bicycles produced.
Only about 1% of commuters in the US travel by bicycle, compared to 30% of commuters in the Netherlands and over 50% in China.
Germany was the European country that bought the most bicycles in 2012, with over 3.9 million.
