Background

The effects of transport on health

Transport includes walking and cycling, as well as the use of private vehicles, public transport and goods vehicles. Transport can have a wide range of beneficial and deleterious effects on health. Positive effects include recreation; exercise; and access to employment, education, shops, leisure facilities, social support networks, health services and the countryside. Negative effects include: pollution; traffic injuries; noise; stress and anxiety; danger; land loss and planning blight; and community severance. Each potential effect of transport on health may be categorised as either calculable, estimable, definite but unquantifiable, or speculative.

What is health impact assessment?

Health impact assessment offers a route to understanding the potential health risks and benefits entailed in any proposal. A formal health impact assessment is an expensive, time-consuming, and substantial project, requiring extensive consultation and in-depth consideration of a large number of issues.

Top | Home | Previous | Next