BMJ  2004;329:1237 (20 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7476.1237-b

Letter

Promoting walking and cycling as an alternative to using cars

Perception of safety is biggest obstacle

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The article by Ogilvie et al highlights the urgent need to promote cycling and walking as a way of promoting individual health.¹ Compared with Europe, not many people in the United Kingdom cycle. For example, in England only 1% of children's journeys are by cycle, compared with 50% in the Netherlands (P Lingwood, unpublished). However, I take issue with the authors' main conclusion that "targeted behaviour change programmes" are more effective than general promotion or physical and economic interventions.

Transport planning and travel behaviour do not allow such easy conclusions. We are dealing with a dynamic environment—a combination of many factors, including the road environment, personal circumstances, national and local policy, travel assumptions, etc. In this environment it is very difficult to prove that any single intervention will have a notable effect.

The weight of evidence, however, shows that the most prominent barrier to cycling is the perception . . . [Full text of this article]

Oxford OX1 2JQ Patrick.lingwood@aeat.co.uk

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