Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks?

Abstract

Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the Risks?Os benefícios à saúde em andar de bicicleta superam os riscos?Resumo Embora uma mudança do uso de carro para bicicleta possa trazer efeitos benéficos para a saúde devido à diminuição da poluição do ar e a um aumento da atividade física, esta mudança também pode trazer efeitos adversos à saúde como exposição à poluição e risco de acidentes de trân-sito, os quais podem superar os benefícios. Nós resumimos a literatura sobre poluição do ar, acidentes de trânsito e atividade física, utilizando revisões sistemáticas suplementadas com estudos recentes. Quantificamos também o impacto na causa de mortalidade se 500 mil pessoas fizessem a transição de carro para bicicleta em viagens curtas diárias na Holanda. Estimamos que os efeitos benéficos do aumento da atividade física são substancialmente maiores do que o efeito potencial da mortalidade por inalação de ar poluído e aumento de acidentes de trânsito. Os benefícios sociais são ainda maiores devido a uma modesta redução na poluição do ar e nos acidentes de trânsito. Em média, os benefícios de saúde devido ao uso da bicicleta são substancialmente maiores do que os riscos relativos a dirigir um carro para pessoas em transição do modo de transporte. Palavras-chave Poluição do ar, Bicicleta, Mudança, Atividade física, Acidentes de trânsito Abstract Although from a societal point of view a modal shift from car to bicycle may have beneficial health effects due to decreased air pollution emissions and increased levels of physical activity, shifts in individual adverse health effects such as higher exposure to air pollution and risk of a traffic accident may prevail. We have summarized the literature for air pollution, traffic accidents, and physical activity using systematic reviews supplemented with recent key studies. We quantified the impact on all-cause mortality when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands. We estimate that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3-14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8-40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5-9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger because of a modest reduction in air pollution and traffic accidents. On average, the estimated health benefits of cycling were substantially larger than the risks relative to car driving for individuals shifting their mode of transport.

The safety of electrically assisted bicycles compared to classic bicycles

“…As many EBs trips are recreational tours, they may also replace other recreational activities (Hendriksen et al, 2008). Together these changes affect the amount of physical exercise, exposure to road safety risks and air pollution that all contribute to health effects (De Hartog et al, 2010). The outcomes of research on broader effects may support policy decisions affecting the attractiveness of the EB, e.g.…”

Infrastructural and Human Factors Affecting Safety Outcomes of Cyclists

“…and society for the last half century. However, despite the bicycle being older than every motorized vehicle as a transport mode, the problem of cyclists' injuries or fatalities as a result of road crashes has been accentuated as a public health problem during the last few years [1]. Consequently, the amount of evidence available for explaining, predicting and preventing road crashes involving cyclists is relatively scarce, especially in developing countries where bicycle usage has was M = 6.71 (SD = 6.34) h, i.e., M = 0.96 h or 57.6 min per day.…”

Short-term planning and policy interventions to promote cycling in urban centers: Findings from a commute mode choice analysis in Barcelona, Spain

“…Cycling in proximity to vehicles also entails certain health risks, including injuries and fatalities from crashes and increased exposure to air pollutants (Pucher and Dijkstra, 2003;Peden et al, 2004;Briggs et al, 2008;de Nazelle and Rodriguez, 2009). Although emerging research suggests that the benefits of increased physical activity may outweigh these risks (Mueller et al, 2015;Schepers et al, 2015;Rojas-Rueda et al, 2011;Hartog et al, 2010), these concerns persist and indicate a need for well-designed infrastructure that promotes safety, limits air pollution exposure, and thus maximizes the potential health benefits of cycling.…”