The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced two pieces of guidance that are particularly relevant to the transport system: 13 14
- PH41 – Physical activity: walking and cycling (2012)
- PH31 – Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s (2010).
A summary of the main recommendations from this guidance is provided in Table 3 and Table 4. NICE guidance on physical activity and the environment, promoting physical activity in the workplace, promoting physical activity for children and young people and prevention of cardiovascular disease also contain recommendations for effective measures relevant to a healthy transport system. 15 16 17 18
NICE is also currently consulting on guidance on air pollution, which is scheduled for publication in 2017. 19 Draft recommendations include:
- including air quality considerations in Local Plans (local authority development planning guidelines)
- introducing clear air zones (this could include measures such as restricting polluting vehicles, encouraging less polluting forms of travel, improving driver behaviour and implementing congestion charging zones)
- ensuring that public sector transport services and fleet vehicles contribute to reduced emissions (this could include measures such as improving driver behaviour and building in reduced emissions as a factor in procurement of vehicles)
- encouraging smooth driving and speed reduction using highway engineering techniques and technology (e.g. displays of current and average speed)
- considering the positioning of cycle routes (on less polluted roads if possible)
- awareness raising about the health effects and ways to reduce air pollution with the general public, businesses and at-risk groups (including children, older people and those with chronic health conditions).
There is currently no NICE guidance on noise pollution, although this is something that is incidentally reduced by increasing active travel and measures to reduce injury.
Table 3: Active travel and the environment – evidence-based recommendations 20
Broad area |
Summary of recommendations |
---|---|
Public realm |
|
Strategy and investment |
|
Training and communications |
|
Programmes and initiatives |
|
Table 4: Preventing unintentional injuries on the road in under 15s – evidence-based recommendations 21
Broad area |
Summary of recommendations |
---|---|
Health advocacy and engagement |
|
Measures to reduce speed |
|
Safer routes for children and young people |
|
In addition to NICE guidance, TfL has produced a Streets Toolkit to aid those involved in the design of streets to create high quality spaces.22 This includes guidance on making bus stops accessible, and streetscape guidance to ensure attractive environments for active travel, and references the London Cycling Design Standards to ensure cycle friendly infrastructure, streets and parking.
TfL’s transport action plan, ‘Improving the health of Londoners’, brings together a range of evidence on health and transport and includes recommendations on how to make the transport system healthier. 23 Recommendations relevant to local authorities include implementing speed limits of 20 mph on borough-controlled roads, ensuring accessibility to healthcare facilities and increasing joint working between public health and transport colleagues. The action plan also describes 10 ‘healthy street’ indicators for guiding local transport planning (see Box 3).
Box 3: TfL’s ‘healthy street’ indicators 24
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 41, Physical activity: walking and cycling,” 2012.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 31, Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s,” 2010.
- National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity and the environment (PH8),” 2008.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity in the workplace (PH13),” 2008.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity for children and young people (PH17),” 2009.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Cardiovascular disease prevention (PH25),” 2010.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Air pollution: outdoor air quality and health (draft for consulation),” 2016.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 41, Physical activity: walking and cycling,” 2012.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 31, Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s,” 2010.
- https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/streets-toolkit
- Transport for London, “Improving the health of Londoners: Transport action plan,” 2014.
- Transport for London, “Improving the health of Londoners: Transport action plan,” 2014.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 41, Physical activity: walking and cycling,” 2012.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 31, Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s,” 2010.
- National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity and the environment (PH8),” 2008.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity in the workplace (PH13),” 2008.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Physical activity for children and young people (PH17),” 2009.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Cardiovascular disease prevention (PH25),” 2010.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Air pollution: outdoor air quality and health (draft for consulation),” 2016.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 41, Physical activity: walking and cycling,” 2012.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), “Public health guideline 31, Unintentional injuries on the road: interventions for under 15s,” 2010.
- https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/streets-toolkit
- Transport for London, “Improving the health of Londoners: Transport action plan,” 2014.
- Transport for London, “Improving the health of Londoners: Transport action plan,” 2014.