Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Cycling plays an important role in urban areas and has been suggested as a tool to promote public health. Now, a new study led by Colorado State University has estimated the health benefits of urban cycling in 17 countries for the first time.
According to the research team, up to 205,424 premature deaths could be prevented each year if countries supported high levels of urban cycling. In the US, it is estimated that more than 15,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year by supporting urban cycling.
The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, modeled the benefits of promoting urban cycling through 2050 and if 100% of bike trips replace car trips.
Dr. David Rojas-Rueda of CSU led the research project in collaboration with scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
An avid Rojas-Rueda, an urban cyclist and lead author of the study, said the team found that global policies on cycling can provide significant mortality benefits for years to come.
“This study should be seen as a call to implement policies that support sustainable mobility and healthy urban design,” he said. “Current policies will affect our future and the health of future generations.”
The study compared current cycling trends with high levels of urban cycling across 17 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt and France. , Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, UK and USA.
The high cycling scenarios for 2050 were based on policies that have been shown to lead to a rapid increase in cycling levels. This includes things like:
- Backtrack bicycle infrastructure on existing roads to create networks on arterial streets, smaller residential streets, and intercity roads.
- Implementation of shared bicycle systems in large cities.
- Reform laws and enforcement practices to better protect active transportation.
- Invest in walking facilities and public transport to offer trips that can be combined with cycling trips.
- Elimination of policies that support the additional use of motorized vehicles, such as free parking and fuel subsidies.
- Establishment of congestion pricing, travel fees, and development impact fees to charge a price for driving.
The research team used a quantitative health impact assessment methodology, which considered the benefits of physical activity and the risks associated with traffic fatalities and inhalation of air pollution during cycling. They also focused on the adult population among the 17 countries and included the impact of mechanical and electric bicycles.
explore more
Get on your bike: active transport has a significant impact on carbon emissions More information: Julen Egiguren et al, Premature Mortality of 2050 High Bike Use Scenarios in 17 Countries, Environmental Health Perspectives (2021). DOI: 10.1289/EHP9073 Magazine information: Environmental Health Perspectives
Provided by Colorado State University Date: More than 200,000 deaths could be avoided annually if countries were more supportive of urban cycling by 2050 (2021, December 1) retrieved on August 29, 2022 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-deaths- annually-countries-urban.html This document is subject to copyright. Other than any fair dealing for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.