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‘Maximising cycling safety to improve public health’ is a Cochrane Review. These are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy, and are internationally recognised as the highest standard in evidence-based health care.
Researchers at The University of Nottingham are leading the study which will assess the effectiveness of the UK’s current cycling infrastructure and look at how other countries have used street engineering to improve safety for cyclists thereby leading to increased levels of cycling, a public health benefit.
The research has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme and the team of public health researchers are working with members of cycle campaign groups and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust’s Bicycle Users Group. The work will examine and compare the effectiveness of a wide variety of cycling infrastructure in developed countries.
Injury prevention specialist Dr Caroline Mulvaney said: “At a time when we hear much about increasing levels of obesity and reducing levels of activity, the benefits of cycling cannot be underestimated. There is a wider benefit to public health in fewer car journeys and therefore cleaner air.”
Hugh McClintock, from Nottingham’s cycle campaign group PEDALS, said: “Recent months have seen a very high profile for cycling both as a sport and as a means of daily transport and also for the potential risks that are too often still faced by cyclists on our roads and streets. This clearly increased interest makes the focus of the cycling infrastructure study even more timely and important. A wide review of modern cycling infrastructure like cycle lanes, cycle boxes at traffic lights and cycle specific regulations and signage is essential and will inform future improvements to the road network for cyclists.”
