You may be travelling less – and that’s a good thing

You may be travelling less – and that’s a good thing.

From the 28 April 2015 article at The Conversation

…

Traffic death rates are falling in OECD countries, but generally rising elsewhere as mass car ownership spreads to other countries. For this reason, the WHO forecast traffic fatalities moving up to the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2030.

Paradoxically, fatality rates (deaths per 100,000 people) are far higher in low-income countries, despite their low levels of vehicle ownership. The main reason? Pedestrian and cyclist deaths can be as high as two-thirds of those killed, compared with 16% in Australia.

Tens of millions are also injured each year on the world’s roads. Particularly in low-income countries, this can mean a double catastrophe: loss of earnings and high medical costs for the affected families.

Air pollution also results in millions of premature deaths, especially in Asian megacities, and the rapid rise in vehicular traffic is an important cause. Further, a recent Chinese studyhas found that children’s school performance was adversely affected by living in traffic-polluted areas.

What’s the alternative?

For some time in OECD countries—and even elsewhere, when we consider traffic casualties and air pollution health effects—the societal costs of extra mobility have been rising faster than the benefits obtained. We must now focus on accessibility —the ease with which people can reach various activities — rather than vehicular mobility.

When access replaces mobility, we can finally start designing our cities for humans rather than cars. We’ll need to design our cities and towns to encourage an attachment to place, rather than endlessly trying to be someplace else. Excess mobility can destroy this sense of place.

….

 

Related articles

• 5 Ways Air Pollution Is Destroying Your Health
• Air pollution costs European economies US$ 1.6 trillion a year in diseases and deaths, new WHO study says

[Reblog] Infographic: Health and Transportation

[Reblog] From the Robert Woods Foundation site

Better Transportation Options=Healthier Lives

The NewPublicHealth National Prevention Strategy series is underway, including interviews with Cabinet Secretaries and their National Prevention Council designees, exploring the impact of transportation, education and more on health. “Better Transportation Options = Healthier Lives” tells a visual story on the role of transportation in the health of our communities.

Some highlights:

• Public transit users walk an average of 19 minutes getting to and from public transportation.
• Countries with lower rates of obesity tend to have higher rates of commuters who walk or bike to work.
• The risk of obesity increases 6% with every additional mile spent in the car, and decreases 5% with every kilometer walked.
• Lengthy commutes cost $100 billion each year in excess fuel costs and lost productivity.
• More than 30,000 people died in car wrecks in 2010.
• Strong seatbelt and child safety laws resulted in a 25% decrease in car accident deaths since 2005.

Also check out our previous infographic exploring the connection betweeneducation and health.

 

>>For more on transportation and health: Read our interview with Ray LaHood, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

VIEW THE FULL INFOGRAPHIC:

Tags: Public health, Transportation, Transportation policy, Public Health ,Transportation, National Prevention Strategy

 

Related articles

• The World’s Greenest Cities [Infographic] (urbantimes.co)
• Put the “Public” Back in Public Transportation (obrag.org)
• Is obesity a heavy drag on fuel economy? (mnn.com)