Really, our needs are simple. As people, we want to be loved and accepted for who we are. We want work that fulfills us and family that completes us. As drivers, we want clear roads, blue skies and a car that’s not going to die every 500 miles. Oh, and the ability to find cheaper auto insurance quotes online. But we’ve already got that, and it’s coming to us from some very unexpected places. If you were going to move to a tree lined residential area, what would you say were your reasons? The pleasant scenery? The quiet atmosphere? The fact that the birds are chirping, the squirrels are scurrying, and no one’s driving 100 mph in a 45 mph zone?

Believe it or not, you’ve got to give thanks to the trees.

Now, I’m a big believer in giving credit where credit is due, but I was understandably skeptical when I first heard the notion that streets lined with trees not only made for better neighbors but could also help me find cheaper auto insurance quotes online. Sure, they make a great organic blockade to stop the neighbors from peeping through your window. And if they grow in just the right spot they can help keep your house in the shade and the costs down on your air conditioning bill. But what on earth do trees have to do with drivers?

Quite a bit, apparently. In a random study of street trees a research team discovered (quite by accident) that tree-lined streets seemed to breed more conscientious drivers. Their accident rates were considerably lower than parts of town where the foliage had been trimmed away, providing residents with the ability to enjoy cheaper auto insurance quotes online than their neighbors. Further studies revealed that:

a) Tree-lined streets were relaxing to drivers, cutting away at the stress and tension they suffered behind the wheel and encouraging them to pay more attention to their surroundings. The lack of road rage, even in drivers who were traveling, led to lower accident rates.

b) Trees planted near to the road give the impression of a smaller roadway, especially when there were cars parked on either side. Even though they still had just as much room to maneuver, drivers felt as though they were being “squeezed in”, a feeling that inspired them to drive with the caution usually reserved for gravel roads in the dead of winter.

c) When trees are planted close together they appear to be “flying by” when viewed with peripheral vision, making drivers feel as though they are going faster than they are and encouraging them to slow down and drive with care. moving companies quotes online