Bike sharing saves lives
New research says that bike riding might just save your life
Pedal pushers haven’t always been the hallmark of fashion but new scientific research into the health benefits of urban bike sharing schemes may be their ticket into the future. Standing to the results of a health impact assessment study carried out by the British Medical Journal, bike sharing schemes such as that launched in Barcelona in 2007 which encourage urban dwellers to ride rather than drive short journeys in the city save lives, improve health and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The study was carried out in Barcelona where 180 thousand people, which is to say 11 per cent of the population, subscribe to the Bicing bike sharing scheme and claims that 12 lives are saved every year as a direct result of Bicing riding. It is safe to assume that results would be similar for the several other big cities which have adopted bike sharing schemes in the past six years – Lyon, Stockholm, Paris, Milan and London to name but a few.
“Our work has shown that low cost public bicycle sharing systems aimed at encouraging commuters to cycle are worth implementing in other cities, not only for their health benefits but also for potential co-benefits such as a reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gases” reads the report’s conclusion.
Despite the fact that only 1.7 per cent of Bicing subscribers are regular users, the study estimate that around 9 thousand tonnes of C02 were saved thanks to the scheme, equivalent to a 250 year long hot shower.
To read the study click here
To find out more about bike sharing schemes click here.
