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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
OBESITY - CYCLING CAN HELP
By Shane Foran Irish Cycling Campaign
6 Jul 2004,
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The last week has seen Irish Cycling Organisations involved in rushed last minute efforts to make submissions to the National Task Force on Obesity, which had only defined a three-week window for public submissions. Despite the short notice, both the Galway and Dublin Cycling Campaigns managed to make submissions. Both groups highlight the proven health benefits of regular cycling - an actuarial cost benefit analysis of regular cycling has shown that the
health benefits to society exceed negative impacts by 20:1. Both submissions outline a hierarchy of measures for creating a "cyclist-friendly" roads infrastructure including traffic reduction, traffic calming, junction treatments and road space reallocation. The cyclists argue that creating a cyclist-friendly infrastructure requires influencing the current "car-friendly" activities of the
Departments of Transport and Environment.
The three-week window did not provide enough time for an agreed national position paper on general cycling issues. However, as an interim step, the Irish Cycle Campaign has called on Department/Minister for Health to take a robust line against misleading claims about cycle-helmets. They argue that this is no different to taking robust positions regarding to false and untenable claims on behalf of other products. Recently cycling groups in both Ireland and the UK have been outraged by outlandish public claims about cycle helmets being made by interests associated with the car lobby. The cyclists have informed the task force that there is no real-world evidence that cycle helmets prevent serious injury but widespread evidence that cycle-helmet promotion discourages significant numbers of people from cycling. In particular, say the cyclists, the unfortunate promotion of cycle-helmets has the potential to seriously undermine efforts to promote physical activity, particularly among women and girls. According to recent census data, more teenage girls now drive theselves to school in cars than use bicycles.
MORE INFORMATION: (You will need to copy and paste links into your browser)
Galway Obesity Submission (40.5k)
http://www.eirbyte.com/gcc/GCC_obesity_sub.doc
Dublin Obesity Submission (182k)
http://www.eirbyte.com/gcc/DCC_obesity_sub.doc
ICC Submission:
http://www.eirbyte.com/gcc/ICC_obesity_sub.doc 25k
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David Maher 086 3475357
PRO of the Irish Cycling Campaign (Dublin)
Shane Foran 087 9935993
PRO of the Irish Cycling Campaign (Galway)
Darren McAdam-O'Connell 021 4899970
PRO of the Irish Cycling Campaign (Cork)
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