Mowing The Grass - A Dangerous Pursuit?

It’s still winter here in the UK with heavy snow in most areas. But it won’t be long before people start thinking of mowing the grass. Before you do so, this might be a good time to reflect on whether you should have an artificial grass lawn installed.
”Why?” you might ask. Well- artificial grass helps save water, reduce air pollution and avoid grass allergies. Mowing natural grass can also lead to accidents and injuries.
According to a BBC report carried out over a period of 5 years in the USA, well over 60,000 Americans were admitted to hospital A&E because of lawn mower accidents. The most common injuries were cuts and bruises. But there were cases of bone fractures, limb amputations and even deaths. It was the ride-on type of lawn mower in the majority of these accidents. And in the UK, of course, only a fraction of households can afford that type of mower. But, you should not rest on your laurels if you use a push-type mower. Because according to reports, over 6,000 people are injured every single year in the UK by lawn mowers of all types – a staggering statistic. Most of these injuries appear to be because the users either did not follow the mower manufacturer’s instructions correctly or they misused the mower in some way.

Will We Have to Mow The Lawn All Year Round?

According to latest reports, scientists are now arguing the possibility that many of us in the UK will soon have to mow the lawn all year round.
The National Environment Research Council has said that, as a result of mild winters in the last 5 years, around 35% of homeowners in the UK are now mowing their lawns in winter.
To put this in context, 20 years ago grass would only grow during winter in milder areas of the UK such as the Scilly Isles.
When the temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius grass will grow. And this January (2007) was the second mildest on record with temperatures reaching 5.9 degrees Celsius. Out came the mowers!
If the thought of keeping the lawn mower going continually over 12 months doesn’t appeal to you then it’s time to consider installing artificial grass and start enjoying the extra time you will save.

Throw Out The Grass Mower – Go Racing Instead!

mowing the grass

This is the time of year many people start thinking about what lies ahead to do in the garden ahead of Spring. For anyone with a garden, the upkeep and maintenance can be demanding. So if last year, you got tired of mowing the lawn, then why not give it up and install artificial grass!

That’s not all though. Because apart from reaping the benefits of artificial grass such as more time for leisure, helping to improve the environment, not having to pay for or use pesticides etc, you don’t actually have to throw away the mower. You could go lawn mower racing instead! Sounds crazy? Not a bit – there are lots of people getting into this fast growing sport.

For example, in our area of Cumbria there is the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association. They race all over the North of England and Midlands. Races are held for a variety of levels – from Group 1 (the smaller run-behind mowers) up to Group 4 (small bonneted tractor). There are of course very important safety issues to consider before you can actually go mower racing. They vary with each Group level of machine and these are spelled out in their Lawn Mower Racing FAQ page.

Even if you decide against going racing with your old lawn mower, you might still want to go and watch others taking part in what sounds like a fun day out.

The British Lawn Mower Racing Association carries lots of information for spectators. Including forthcoming events and lawn mower race meetings.

So what’s the solution? Well, you can start reading up on how to avoid lawn mower injuries OR you can decide to install artificial grass. Long term you are likely to reap far greater benefits than just avoiding lawn mower accidents – you’ll be helping the environment, saving on needless lawn watering and of course spending more time in your garden at leisure because you don’t have to spend countless hours mowing the grass and emptying the grass clippings!