Health Talk: Why it's important to make walking and cycling safe
For governments to observe a week dedicated to safe walking and cycling is of immense need.
According to data shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year, nearly 1.2 million people lose their lives on the roads, more than a quarter of them while walking or cycling.
In the WHO South-East Asia Region, pedestrian deaths rose by 42%; in the European Region, cyclist deaths surged by 50%; and in the Western Pacific Region, cyclist deaths soared by 88%.
Yet, the UN health body said, only 0.2% of the roads worldwide are equipped with cycle lanes, and far too many communities lack basics like sidewalks or safe pedestrian crossings— a problem that is acute for a country like India that has almost zero sidewalks or cycling tracks.
And enough stress can't be put on the positive impact of simple activities such as walking and cycling on improving overall health.
'Walking and cycling improve health and make cities more sustainable. Every step and every ride help to cut congestion, air pollution, and disease,' said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, in a statement. 'But we must make walking and cycling safe, so more people choose these healthier, greener options.'
In a 2024 study— Health benefits of pedestrian and cyclist commuting: evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study— published in BMJ, authors inferred active commuters were less likely to suffer from a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes than non-active commuters.
In fact, data showed, compared with non-active commuting, cyclist commuting was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk, of any hospitalisation, of cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalisation, of cancer mortality and cancer hospitalisation, and lower risk of having a prescription for mental health problems. In addition, pedestrian commuting was associated with lower risk of any hospitalisation, of CVD hospitalisation, and of a mental health prescription.
As a solution, the WHO has launched a new toolkit to help governments promote active mobility – by making it safer. It can work as a guidance document for policymakers, urban planners, health advocates, and civil society in general.
Among the actions recommended in the tool-kit include integrating walking and cycling into transport, health, environmental and education policies; building safe infrastructure like sidewalks, crossings and protected cycle lanes; setting and enforcing safer speed limits aligned with global best practices; promoting safe road use through public awareness and behaviour change campaigns; and using financial incentives to encourage active mobility.
'It is urgent to make, what should be our most natural means of transport, safer. This is paramount for road safety, but also health, equity and climate,' said Etienne Krug, director of the WHO department for the social determinants of health, in a statement. 'We're calling on all sectors – transport, health, education and beyond – to make walking and cycling safe and accessible for everyone.'
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