A few years ago it would seem unlikely that the cost of fuel would reach such astronomical heights; an SUV was the in thing to own, even if it was used for just a 10 min drive to work and just occupy the office parking lot all day. Today however this is reaching the un-affordability bracket, with fuel crossing $4 a gallon, using your car is no longer the smartest thing to do. As with any desperate situation the alternatives have come to the rescue. It's not uncommon now to see former SUV drivers using a two wheeler to drive to work. The savings involved speak for themselves, it cost $6 a day on a two wheeler compared to $34 for a Pick-up truck or a family Sedan. Now that driving a car has become prohibitively expensive in some cases, more people are using scooters not just for fun and short errands, but even for commutes that can run more than an hour each way. The major deterrent so far has obviously been safety and direct exposure to the elements. Not to mention the safety hazards a scooter exposes us to. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - a research group funded by the insurance industry- trading in your sedan for a scooter can nearly double your risk. In 2005, the latest year with complete data, the death rate for scooter riders was 129 per million scooters registered. That compares with a rate of 78 for cars and light trucks. The rate is significantly higher for motorcycles, however: 645. It costs about $300 per year on average to insure a scooter, compared with about $600 for a motorcycle and $1,400 for a car. Even so the scooter makes the trip to work a pleasure compared to a car or a Pickup truck.

Powerful scooters get around 50 mpg, but are more comfortable than their less-thirsty cousins for long trips and commutes at highway speeds. Nearly all scooters have low-slung frames with "step-through" designs that make getting on and off easier for riders in work clothes. To make scooters more appealing to the bigger-is-better set, manufacturers have added beefier models with more storage space and a smoother ride for long commutes. Typical costs for a two wheeler range from $1900 to $9000.

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