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MOBILITY

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
SAFER & HEALTHIER

source: www.uitp.com/mediaroom/
june-2004/Pollution-roads-en.cfm

www.uitp.com/Events/madrid/
mediaroom/Articles/integrated_
mobility.htm

www.mobilityweek-europe.org/page.php?page=themes_public_transport&
lang=en htm

www.tehranmetro.com/news/articles/
files/a1511UITP%20Press%20Release.
pdf' target=

It is on average 5 to 10 times safer to travel by public transport than by car…

road accidents kill 45,000 people in Europe each year. Traffic accidents are the 1st cause of death for young people aged from 1 to 25 in European Union countries, far more than suicide;

in cities where public transport is well developed, the number of people killed by cars is divided by 2 compared to cities without an efficient public transport system;

cities where most trips are made by car are also the most dangerous, with nearly 130 fatal accidents per million inhabitants in the United States, 70 in Western Europe and 60 in affluent Asian cities. .

About 1/3 of all childhood ill health from birth to 19 years in Europe can be attributed to unsafe and unhealthy environments*:

polluted air and water and other environment-related hazards kill more than 3 million children under the age of 5 every year;

across Europe outdoor pollution alone kills up to 13,000 children aged under 4 every year, says the report. Outdoor air pollution is associated with chest infections, asthma, low birth weight and impaired lung function;

lead is still the single most important chemical toxicant for children in Europe, causing mild mental retardation in many of them.

Public transport can play a key role in addressing this situation…

for instance, a standard 45 seat diesel bus with only 5 passengers emits less carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and less hydrocarbons per person than a private car with an occupancy of 1.5 persons, thereby having significantly fewer adverse health implications.

* According to the World Health Organisation, 2004.

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