Pollution - Motorists v Cyclists

OldSkoolKona
OldSkoolKona Posts: 655
edited May 2009 in Commuting chat
I'm in the process of challenging the perception of a manager at work that cycling is dangerous and unhealthy (due to pollution).

I found a good article on perception of cycling safety:
(http://www.cyclinginstructor.com/cyclin ... $Category1)/E0A4E09F5D74812F80257177004D9A87/$FILE/c2014.pdf)
(sorry URL function won't work with a link like this)

I've heard it mentioned several times that there has been a study (or studies) that have shown that motorists are exposed to more pollution than cyclists.

Does anyone have a link to any good articles on this? (have tried googling but most the articles I've found haven't been very good :? )

Cheers

Comments

  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    http://www.dft.gov.uk/rmd/project.asp?i ... ctID=10416
    http://www.gaftech.com/carcabin/
    http://www.pennmax.com/article.aspx?art ... bf22fb3cef


    http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/6.7.html
    http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-and-riding/11015/


    May all help
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    Does smoking become less damaging as your lung capacity reduces? If not, I can't follow his reasoning because the only difference is how deeply you enhale.

    Also, air quality, even in a city, is better outside. Unless you work in a sealed building with a constant positive pressure that is fed by an air supply that has been passed through an activated carbon filter.... hypothetically.
  • OldSkoolKona
    OldSkoolKona Posts: 655
    Thanks Kieran

    I also found a couple of other interesting sites:
    http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archive ... ing_en.pdf
    Has some great stats, including
    - In '95, in the UK, bicycle use was 81 km/inhabitant/year :shock: . In Dutchland it was 1019 and in Ireland 228
    - Motorists breathe in nearly 3 times as much carbon monoxide as cyclists :!:
    - The likelihood of cyclists considering themselves 'happy' or 'very happy' is four times as likely as the control :lol:

    http://hasiruusiru.org/joomla/images/st ... nsport.pdf

    Best though are some of the quotes from one of your links
    "Exercise will extend your life by about the amount of time you spend
    doing it. So if you spend an hour on your bike, you've added an hour to
    your life    ."
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    Thanks Kieran

    I also found a couple of other interesting sites:
    http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archive ... ing_en.pdf
    Has some great stats, including
    - In '95, in the UK, bicycle use was 81 km/inhabitant/year :shock: . In Dutchland it was 1019 and in Ireland 228
    - Motorists breathe in nearly 3 times as much carbon monoxide as cyclists :!:
    - The likelihood of cyclists considering themselves 'happy' or 'very happy' is four times as likely as the control :lol:

    http://hasiruusiru.org/joomla/images/st ... nsport.pdf

    Best though are some of the quotes from one of your links
    "Exercise will extend your life by about the amount of time you spend
    doing it. So if you spend an hour on your bike, you've added an hour to
    your life    ."
    Anyone else read 'The healthy dead' by Steven Erikson?
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    I'm in the process of challenging the perception of a manager at work that cycling is dangerous and unhealthy (due to pollution).

    On the unhealthy bit, if anybody who drives a car to work tells you this point out to them that in their car they're exposed to quite a lot more pollution that somebody on a push bike (factors of 100s IIRC).

    The air sits in their lungs too.
    Photos - Blog - Bike
  • chuckcork
    chuckcork Posts: 1,471
    I'd query what air does he think he's breathing when he's in a car?

    Unless the car is hermetically sealed and supplied by tanks filled where the air is cleanier, grass is greenier etc, he is going to breathing the same stuff any cyclist is, except it will be pickup up lower down, at the level where the car in front cam pump exhaust straight into the intakes.

    At the same time his lard-butt is growing bigger, his risk of diabetes is growing and his health generally getting worse. Aren't we actually about to see the first generation whose health is actually, through or despite (you pick) the wonders of modern technology, worse than their parents?
    'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze....
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    I like this post on the safety aspects of cycling:
    http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/cycling/h ... s-cycling/
    Today is a good day to ride
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,706
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    I'm in the process of challenging the perception of a manager at work
    Good luck, I suspect you will get nowhere.

    Most people (car drivers) who shake their heads at or deride regular cyclists are too stupid and ignorant to listen to you. Trying to communicate this almost inexplicable enjoyment of what seems to them to be physical hardship is pointless.

    I had a lovely ride in this morning, my colleague said she was singing out loud on the way in despite being on the main road, simply because she was so pleased to be out in the sun and the fresh air with the sights and smells of spring all around. I have been known to actually laugh repeatedly while commuting in the rain (though not when it's absolutely p*ssing down).

    Those frustrated drivers cannot comprehend the mental health benefits of cycling.... though it may be that doing battle on city streets doesn't have the same benefit as the country lanes that make up a fair proportion of my favourite route.
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • OldSkoolKona
    OldSkoolKona Posts: 655
    Simon E wrote:
    I have been known to actually laugh repeatedly while commuting in the rain (though not when it's absolutely p*ssing down)

    You do that too, I thought that was only me :D

    Thanks for all the articles guys, they have now been shared with the management team on our project, of whom 3 cycle to work (out of 7). We're now looking at doing a session with Cycle Training UK for the project management team (our company provides it free of charge), including for the car drivers, to raise awareness.
  • Stuey01
    Stuey01 Posts: 1,273
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    Simon E wrote:
    I have been known to actually laugh repeatedly while commuting in the rain (though not when it's absolutely p*ssing down)

    You do that too, I thought that was only me :D

    Thanks for all the articles guys, they have now been shared with the management team on our project, of whom 3 cycle to work (out of 7). We're now looking at doing a session with Cycle Training UK for the project management team (our company provides it free of charge), including for the car drivers, to raise awareness.

    Sounds very progressive. Nice one.
    Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,706
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    Thanks for all the articles guys, they have now been shared with the management team on our project, of whom 3 cycle to work (out of 7). We're now looking at doing a session with Cycle Training UK for the project management team (our company provides it free of charge), including for the car drivers, to raise awareness.
    That's great! If only other organisations were as open-minded...
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    OldSkoolKona wrote:
    Simon E wrote:
    I have been known to actually laugh repeatedly while commuting in the rain (though not when it's absolutely p*ssing down)

    You do that too, I thought that was only me :D

    nope....another manic laughoutlouder here......

    I got caught in a short hail shower not long ago and burst out in a big smile and laughter!
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    Good work OldSkoolKona, the more people do things like this to raise awareness the better it will be for the rest of us.

    Hands up for the manic laughing and singing out loud posse :D
    /puts hands up
    /falls off bike as hasnt mastered cycling handsies-freesies yet
    Today is a good day to ride
  • OldSkoolKona
    OldSkoolKona Posts: 655
    Ironically, said manager drove past me this morning and was very respectful in holding back and not squeezing past in residential area I have to ride through just before I get to work. I nearly fell of my bike in shock 8)

    Right, looking outside, the clouds are suggesting there may be some manic laughing coming on in a few minutes on the ride home. Not nice though when I get the 'sweat washed into eyes' downpour effect if its a heavy down pour :shock:

    ps - Snooks, your copy of Cyclecraft is doing the rounds with my project team and I'm going to get them to sign a comments sheet inside it so we can see how many people read it. Hope you don't mind :D
  • OldSkoolKona
    OldSkoolKona Posts: 655
    Found a good document from the CTC, related to their current campaign for increasing the number of cyclists to increase their safety. It also lists where the least (York) and most (Bradford) serious injuries to cycle commuters occur. Interesting (and great) to hear that cycling in London has increased 91% since 2000.
    CTC - Safety in Numbers Report

    Also, if you want some numbers to challenge the perceptions, here is a report from the DfT on Cycle casualties in 2007.
    Pedal cyclist casualties in road accidents: 2007

    An interesting fact from this is that 4 pedestrians were killed in collisions with cyclists compared to 636 killed in collisions with motorised vehicles. (The equivalent report is also available for all road accidents)

    EDIT - added DfT links

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