Campaign for Sensible Transport

Irish Doctor's Environmental Association

"We do not need the present road plans, and on both health and common sense grounds, Irish Doctors Environmental Association supports CaST in it’s objectives"

Current Irish transport policy is not conducive to good health.

The emphasis on roads and the negligent treatment of our public transport system leaves a legacy of illness and suffering that, unfortunately we are unable to accurately estimate. It is therefore unacceptable that we are spending Ł5,968 million pounds on our national roads and only Ł825 million
pounds on our regional public transport system.

It is with interest and concern, we note that the U.K. Dept. of Health's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution on Health estimated in 1998 that up to 24,000 vulnerable people die prematurely each year. A similar number are admitted to hospital because of exposure to air pollution, much of which is due to road traffic.

There are three main health outcomes to the current unsatisfactory transport situation:

Increased illnesses from traffic pollution.

Nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide are released from motor vehicles and particulate matter is also released from diesel vehicles.

Nitrogen oxides are implicated in the triggering of asthmatic episodes, and in the longer term, with reduced lung function and croup in children.

Sulphur dioxide is also a respiratory irritant and may cause breathing difficulties in people exposed to it. Ground level ozone is formed by the interaction of nitrogen oxides in sunlight, with volatile organic compounds acting as a catalyst. Ground level ozone is a respiratory irritant and also appears to retard plant growth. It is characteristically higher in rural areas than in cities as the levels are reduced by nitric oxides(1). In Ireland, levels of ground level ozone have, on occasions already exceeded EU thresholds for the protection of human health.
The Millennium report from the Environmental Protection Agency clearly shows that our transport system produces half of our current nitrogen oxide emissions, 60% of our volatile organic compounds and 81% of our carbon monoxide emissions. There is evidence that both nitrogen oxides and ozone may increase the likelihood of allergic lung disease.
While particulate matter released, especially from diesel vehicles is closely associated with respiratory damage, recent research also indicates that there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease from particulate matter.
Pollution levels in cars are generally 2-3 times higher than the levels to which pedestrians are exposed.

Death and injury from road traffic accidents

Road traffic accidents affect motorists, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. Last year, the death rate on our roads was 11 per 100,000. Comparable figures are 6 per 100,000 for the U.K. A recent estimate by the World Bank estimated that road accidents will become the third biggest cause of mortality by 2020 unless policies change drastically (2).

Other effects

There is evidence that traffic noise disturbs sleep and affects performance in school children, and that furthermore, the stress that this noise causes may increase the risk of developing chronic heart disease and psychiatric disorders. Because of worries about safety, many children are now driven to school. The British Medical Association has warned that that this could have serious effects on their physical and mental development. In 1969, 90% of seven-year-olds in the UK were allowed to cross the roads outside their house by themselves. In 1990, just 22% were allowed to do so. As late as 1971, over 70% of seven-year-olds went to school, unaccompanied by an older person; in 1990, only 7% did so. Accompanying children took up 900, 000,000 hours a year (3). These figures forecast significant social change.
Although we do not have comparable figures for Ireland, it is very likely that they are similar. In keeping with our commitments under the Kyoto protocol, we all have a responsibility to curb our own production of greenhouse gasses, and hence to reduce our production of carbon dioxide from motor vehicles.

The benefits in air quality, brought about by the vehicle testing and catalytic converters will be offset by the increasing number of vehicles on our roads, and which will of course, further increase if the road plans are put in place.

We must use public transport where possible, and exhort our politicians to increase funding for our over-pressed rail and bus systems. Cycle lanes must be commonplace. In the words of Dr. A. Behan (4), "numerous studies have been carried out, which have shown that over-building of roads actually contributes to and maintains road congestion.

Where is the 'common good' if we degrade the environment and human well-being, ignoring the alternatives, to simply decrease journey times between congested towns? We will all pay the cost, unless we listen to each other and have open informed debate and appropriate decision making processes.”

In the final analysis, healthier transport systems will involve reducing the need for transport, by developing local economies which supply most of our needs locally, thus avoiding the massive distances which even some of our most basic requirements travel at present.

We do not need the present road plans, and on both health and common sense grounds, Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association supports CaST in its objectives.

References
(1) Prescription for change Health and the environment Friends of the Earth 1995 p.50
(2) The Irish Times Nov 3 2001'Tackling the catastrophe of road accident toll'.
(3) The Growth Illusion Richard Douthwaite Lilliput Press p134
(4) Behan A. in Nature Trail Sport and Living Supplement Leinster Leader 8-11-2001
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Dr. Elizabeth Cullen Co-chair Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association
Thomastown,
Kilcullen,
Co. Kildare
Telephone 045-485215