Politicians and planners need to put health and not economics at the heart of transport policies to reduce unnecessary car use and make it easier to make short journeys on foot, by bike, and on public transport, says a report from the BMA.1

Road traffic density in the UK has increased steadily over the past 60 years with substantial rises in congestion and pollution, both of which have had negative health impacts, in addition to the detrimental toll of a more sedentary lifestyle. The miles travelled by car in the UK have increased nearly 16-fold from about 13 billion miles a year in 1949 to 240 billion miles in 2010.

Vivienne Nathanson, director of BMA professional activities, told the BMJ that current transport policy is …