Cycle and walking 'must be norm' for short journeys

[morphix]

Cycling and walking should be the norm for all short journeys, experts say.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said people should shun their cars if a trip could be done in 15 or 20 minutes on foot or bike.

It said the approach was needed to combat the "silent epidemic" of inactivity posing a risk to the health of people in England.

The advisory body called on councils to do more to make walking and cycling an easier option in local communities.

Full story:
BBC News - Cycle and walking 'must be norm' for short journeys

 

[indalo]

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said people should shun their cars if a trip could be done in 15 or 20 minutes on foot or bike.

It said the approach was needed to combat the "silent epidemic" of inactivity posing a risk to the health of people in England.

I'm sure most sensible people would agree with that sentiment and I certainly endorse it wholeheartedly. Having collected a bunch of life-shortening conditions due mainly to previous lifestyle choices, I now appreciate the value and benefit to be gained from walking. Unfortunately, I'm unable to do much of that but I can cycle without too much pain. Thank god for ebikes!

Indalo

 

[jerrysimon]

Much as I hate driving in Cambridge, I have to admit in some of this torrential rain I have used the car. Used my bike this morning though

Jerry

 

[103Alex1]

Cycling and walking should be the norm for all short journeys, experts say.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said people should shun their cars if a trip could be done in 15 or 20 minutes on foot or bike.

It said the approach was needed to combat the "silent epidemic" of inactivity posing a risk to the health of people in England.

The advisory body called on councils to do more to make walking and cycling an easier option in local communities.

Full story:
BBC News - Cycle and walking 'must be norm' for short journeys

Agree with the theory entirely for able-bodied people especially on health grounds. Anything which makes walking and cycling easier options would be welcome for that.

Do wonder how much notice most councils will take of this though and how they would interpret it in practice. Some more cycle stands would be a good start in a few areas I can think of - it's like trying to find a parking space sometimes

 

[RoadieRoger]

It makes sense but do we really need NICE to tell us , shouldn`t they be concentrating on getting lifesaving drugs/medicines through testing ? I`m getting a bit fed up with all the nannying by the government and that includes financial penalties because some people drink too much . I don`t drink ,but interfering with prices to please some lobby or other seems a step too far . If the Authorities dealt with the miscreants by jailing them or fining them heavily , that`s what they should do , not approach it from price to penalise everyone else .

 

[flecc]

It makes sense but do we really need NICE to tell us , shouldn`t they be concentrating on getting lifesaving drugs/medicines through testing ? I`m getting a bit fed up with all the nannying by the government and that includes financial penalties because some people drink too much . I don`t drink ,but interfering with prices to please some lobby or other seems a step too far . If the Authorities dealt with the miscreants by jailing them or fining them heavily , that`s what they should do , not approach it from price to penalise everyone else .

And I very much doubt the attempts to control drinking with price will work anyway.

The real problem was created decades ago when supermarkets were first licenced to sell alcohol. I protested against it then and still insist it's wrong. From their earliest years mothers take their children to supermarkets to buy the essentials of life, food, household items, and often clothing. It's a great way to indoctrinate the young for a decade or so that alcohol is just another of those essentials of life and the drinks industry must love it. Little wonder that those born during this period of supermarket alcohol sales expansion have increasingly exhibited out of control drinking.

I'd like to see the supermarkets given ten years notice of the removal of licences with orders to phase out the sales over that period. It would do the future a favour.

 

[indalo]

And I very much doubt the attempts to control drinking with price will work anyway.

The real problem was created decades ago when supermarkets were first licenced to sell alcohol. I protested against it then and still insist it's wrong. From their earliest years mothers take their children to supermarkets to buy the essentials of life, food, household items, and often clothing. It's a great way to indoctrinate the young for a decade or so that alcohol is just another of those essentials of life and the drinks industry must love it. Little wonder that those born during this period of supermarket alcohol sales expansion have increasingly exhibited out of control drinking.

I'd like to see the supermarkets given ten years notice of the removal of licences with orders to phase out the sales over that period. It would do the future a favour.

You make a great point Flecc and I agree in principle with all except your closing paragraph. Supermarkets on mainland europe look pretty much like ours and since the 1970s when I first began holidaying overseas, their supermarkets have always sold alcohol. Moreover, much of the alcohol on sale in europe, including Scotch produced here, is far cheaper than in the UK.

Those places I have visited don't seem to have the same alcohol-related problems we continue to suffer here so I think it's a cultural problem which needs to be addressed through education and information. It worked for cigarettes.

Indalo

 

[flecc]

It is indeed a British cultural problem, the continent having very different attitudes and drinking cultures, but I don't think education will necessarily work if we don't do that properly.

With cigarettes we have banned advertising, progressively polluted their labels with health warnings, removed branding, not allowed them to be on show etc. With alcohol we are doing the opposite, exactly my point about the supermarket displays. If all alcohol advertising could be banned, the bottle and can labels forced to carry health warnings, the brandings removed, none of the the drink on display and having to be asked for at a counter with none on show, then ok I would agree with supermarkets carrying on licenced. That would work, but failing that, there would be no comparison with the progress made on cigarettes and no improvement in the current situation.
.

 

[morphix]

Much as I hate driving in Cambridge, I have to admit in some of this torrential rain I have used the car. Used my bike this morning though

Jerry

I just used my bike first time in a while to do a sorting office run as the idiots haven't been dropping me any mailing sacks as I could have just gone across the road to post office.. I enjoyed the ride, but it was bloody cold!! Even with 3 coats on and my scarf covering my face! I'm glad I opted for my 26" e-bike and not the unpowered Mezzo I was considering taking

 

[martin@onbike]

Double the price of Alcohol in the shops-Half the price of Alcohol in Pubs.

People's drinking is monitored by a responsible publican,youngsters are not permitted to drink under age.

Pubs will stop closing down-even new ones will be opened -creating more jobs.

Most people will walk or cycle to the pub- ebikes will take you to farther pubs than usual-thus not needing Diesel Taxis so often.

Drinking culture solved-check
Britains economy saved-check
World's ecology protected-check

 

[Scimitar]

With some of the major contributors to the Tories being the big brewing families and companies, I don't think we'll see anything soon that will impact their profits. Sure, there will be window-dressing, but that's all.

 

[mike killay]

Frankly I think that all this social engineering is a waste of time and just lets the control freak Nanny knows best, nit pickers to indulge in a moral panic.
Whn they see their measures not working well enough, punishments will become more draconian.
The Inquisition started quite mildly to help people with their belief. Torquemada decided that there was a duty to save people from themselves and for the good of their souls.
Health Fascism has started quite mildly to help people for the good of their health.
I don't trust any of them.
In any case, the wheel of life is always turning. What is held so dear today will be rejected by future generations. Who remembers the Sunday Observance Acts? The persons who enacted those laws could not possibly conceive of a time and generation who would scoff, ridicule and reject those laws.

 

[103Alex1]

I enjoyed the ride, but it was bloody cold!! Even with 3 coats on and my scarf covering my face! I'm glad I opted for my 26" e-bike and not the unpowered Mezzo I was considering taking

More pedal and less throttle helps warm you up

 

[flecc]

Frankly I think that all this social engineering is a waste of time and just lets the control freak Nanny knows best, nit pickers to indulge in a moral panic.
Whn they see their measures not working well enough, punishments will become more draconian.
The Inquisition started quite mildly to help people with their belief. Torquemada decided that there was a duty to save people from themselves and for the good of their souls.
Health Fascism has started quite mildly to help people for the good of their health.
I don't trust any of them.
In any case, the wheel of life is always turning. What is held so dear today will be rejected by future generations. Who remembers the Sunday Observance Acts? The persons who enacted those laws could not possibly conceive of a time and generation who would scoff, ridicule and reject those laws.

While I agree in disliking social engineering, the things like religion that you use as examples did not do actual harm, just imagined harm. Smoking did do actual harm and so does alcohol, both on a terrible scale, so controlling them is worthwhile and desirable. When we make a false step like allowing drink sales in supermarkets, correcting that error is hardly social engineering, it's just admitting to a mistake.

 

[GaRRy]

While I agree in disliking social engineering, the things like religion that you use as examples did not do actual harm, just imagined harm. Smoking did do actual harm and so does alcohol, both on a terrible scale, so controlling them is worthwhile and desirable. When we make a false step like allowing drink sales in supermarkets, correcting that error is hardly social engineering, it's just admitting to a mistake.

I quite like the Swedish system where supermarkets can sell alcohol up to a certain strength only (I think its 3.5% might even be less). It also means you can get hold of quaffing versions of famous brands with alchohol reduced to this value (eg Guiness,Newcastle Brown). I do love my Beer but if the alchohol content was restricted it would not bother me in the least and it means I could drink more . Im into Becks Blue at the moment its a shame there is not a descent british beer equivalent as while I like lager its not really a winter drink.

 

[flecc]

The Swedish policy still contains the intrinsic problem I observed in my first post on this subject though.

We have a British problem and other's methods won't solve it.

 

[alemanyorks]

Much as I hate driving in Cambridge, I have to admit in some of this torrential rain I have used the car. Used my bike this morning though

Jerry

Probably very sensible of you Jerry, I made the mistake of heading out last week by the time I was heading for home 50-60 mph gusts & horizontal rain, very dangerous, got blown into a stationary car by side wind even on a ebike, no steering!

Perhaps if there were more incentives to use bikes or other transport that may help + better infrastructure of course. The inexcorable rise in the cost of fuel is bound to make people think more about transport choices.

 

[billadie]

Been some brilliant commutes this week. Tewkesbury is, as we say here, a bit damp and many fields between Tewks and Gloucester are under water. Stunning views, either in bright morning sunlight or by the light of the full moon. Hope weather lasts til Saturday so can take some pictures.
Unfortunately, very few other cyclists about to share vistas. Passed/passed by none on Tuesday (OK, some parts of A38 flooded), 3 on Wednesday and 2 today, in the 10 miles outside of the towns. These numbers might jump to 6 or 7 on a summer morning, but rarely more.

There are, of course, many short range commuters and Saturdays in Tewkesbury will see,amongst the cycling shoppers up to a dozen Ebikes, probably half of them Thompsons, but I have also seen Wispers, Kalkhofs, Giants,Freegos and a rare Yamaha. At the weekends and summer evenings too there are sporting cyclists, usually in ones or two, but sometimes in packs.

But all this activity is dwarfed by the sheer number of cars. Cycling is a minority activity engaged in either as a sport or by those too poor, too green, or too drunken to run a car. Like many things in Britain cycling is about class. The obviously wealthy and successful (Cameron, Johnson, Sugar) can ride without losing credibility. The sporty can indulge provided they dress in an obvious manner, and don't come to work on their bikes. For the rest bikes are a sign of eccentricity or failure. Any school leaver/student/member of the working class sees the car as a symbol of the success to which they aspire. Once they have a car, they aspire to one with a higher status: an Audi instead of a Volkswagen, a Volkswagen instead of a Skoda. As Margaret Thatcher (no mean snob herself) may have said "A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure"

Until and unless we can break this link of the bike with losers (dreadful word), then cycling will remain a very minor means of transport.

 

[mike killay]

There seems to be something of this attitude in Ypres-nothing like Holland, but it seems as though they think of a bike as a pair of shoes or lawn mower, rather than any indicator of success or financial standing.
But the lack of motor vehicles is nice.
Not to say they don't have a rush hour, but one Saturday night I was going back to my campervan and I passed the Sports Hall. From the noise coming out, it was obviously a teenage dance.
There were about 30 youngsters smoking outside the dance, but what caught my eye was the huge 'pile' of about 200 bikes all jammed outside the hall.
No Mum and Dad Taxi for these teens.
Now they do have a few boy racers, but generally, bikes are considered sensible transport for distances of 5-10 miles.