Cycling revolution could save 10,000 lives per year in Western capitals alone, study claims

If cycling were as popular in every Western capital as it is in Copenhagen, the benefits in healthier population and side effects such as reduced emissions would save 10,000 lives a year, according to a new study from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe.

And that’s not all. The organisations say that they have been able to estimate for the first time the economic benefits, which they put at the equivalent of 76,600 new jobs in bicycle retail and maintenance, provision of clothing and accessories for cyclists, urban development and new mobility schemes.

The findings have been released during the Fourth High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment, currently in progress in Paris and organised by UNECE and WHO. The meeting brings together European ministries of transport, health and the environment to examine how innovative transport policies can create employment opportunities, along with healthier and greener societies.

“An efficient transport system is vital for the functioning of modern economies. However, transport can greatly damage environment and health. That is why we call for a bold Paris Declaration, urging government investments in green and healthy transport,” says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “The pay-offs from these investments are enormous and include new jobs and healthier people from more physical activity, fewer road traffic injuries, less noise and better air quality.”

Pro-environmental and pro-cycling campaigners are often painted as being anti-transport. But the report acknowledges that transport provides jobs and access to leisure activities and livelihoods.

However, it points out that there’s a huge cost to those benefits. Across the region, air pollution, largely caused by traffic, results in almost 500,000 deaths annually, according to new evidence. Road accidents kill 90,000 people prematurely each year. Exposure to excessive street noise affects almost 70 million people. Transport adds 24 percent to total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and North America. When it discourages physical activity, transport contributes to nearly 1 million deaths per year.

WHO and UNECE see cycling as an essential part of reducing these costs. If 26 percent of all journeys in the region's capital cities were taken by bike, as they are in Danish capital Copenhagen, the benefits would be immense: 10,000 fewer deaths per year and 76,600 new jobs. Extend that beyond the capitals and you’d be talking hundreds of thousands of lives and perhaps a million or more jobs.

To bring it closer to home, the figures for London alone are startling. WHO and UNECE estimate over 500 lives would be saved every year in London. The Greater London Authority (GLA) estimated that in 2008 there were 4,267 deaths attributable to long-term exposure to small-particle air pollution.

The Copenhagenisation of London would also create over 8,000 new jobs.

Active travel organisation Sustrans welcomed the findings.

Sustrans’ London director, German Dector-Vega, said: “The evidence that cycling keeps the wheels of the economy turning and is essential for our good health is now beating us over the head and cannot be ignored.

“We must act now to end car dependency and make cycling a safe and convenient choice by lowering traffic speeds, creating more dedicated space on our roads and by improving education for drivers.

“Cycling is a silver bullet that could rescue the UK from the physical inactivity crisis, the economic downturn and dangerous air pollution.”

For those who love a good table - and who doesn’t? - here are the organisation’s estimates for the benefits by city across Europe and North America.

Potential results of increasing cycling modal share in major cities

a Assumed modal share – likely to be an overestimate.

b No additional jobs or lives saved are projected for Amsterdam, as its cycling modal share is already higher than that of Copenhagen.

Source: UNECE