BiciBus.de hat dies direkt geteilt
Navigating Legal Pathways in the Mobility Revolution | Head of Legal | Cycling Unites
🌅 Every morning, my commute is a choice. I can either ride one of my bikes the full 38 km or take the train and cycle the last stretch. Either way, I get fresh air, exercise, and a clear head before starting my day as Head of Legal at Riese & Müller GmbH. My family of four also travels almost exclusively by bike - no car, no problem. Yet, despite the known benefits of cycling for health, climate and urban life, our roads and policies still prioritise cars. A recent study by Ian Walker & Marco Te Brömmelstroet (link in comments section) explores this phenomenon called 'Motonormativity' - a deep-rooted societal bias that treats car travel as the default, making it harder for alternatives like cycling and public transport to gain traction. Motonormativity is the (unconscious) reason why we apply different rules and moral standards to cars than to other forms of transport. Fancy some real-life examples? Let's go: 🚗 Car fumes vs. cigarette smoke 🚬: People strongly agree that smoking should be banned in public places because it harms bystanders, but far fewer support restrictions on car traffic, despite the well-documented health risks of vehicle emissions. 🔊 Loud music vs. Loud cars: People are widely against playing loud music in public places, but accept excessively noisy cars in cities as normal. 💰 Funding disparities: Many reject the idea of using taxes from non-cyclists to subsidize safe cycling infrastructure, but have no issue with tax money from non-drivers funding roads, parking, and fuel subsidies (no, your vehicle tax does not nearly cover the costs). 🛑 Double standards on risk: We usually hold people responsible for injuries they cause, but often blame pedestrians or cyclists for being hit by cars, rather than holding drivers responsible. The Study comes up with some surprising key findings: 🔹 Pluralistic ignorance: Most people support non-car mobility, but wrongly assume they are in the minority. This misconception discourages change. 🔹 Social & cultural reinforcement: Even non-drivers internalise car-first thinking through social norms and infrastructure design. 🔹 Political bias: Governments favour car travel and make sustainable alternatives feel inconvenient. Fortunately, there are things each individual can do, such as: ✔ Challenge the bias: When it comes to car privileges, ask: “Would we accept this if it were about smoking, noise, or public safety?” ✔ Make support visible: Many people want safer bike infrastructure - let’s talk about it, join your local Critical or Kidical Mass, or start a BiciBus.de ✔ Advocate for fair streets: Push for policies that prioritize humans over cars. For more than six years now, my family has been living proof that a car-free lifestyle is possible. But it should not be a daily (and sometimes dangerous) struggle. Let's rethink mobility and push for change. Who's with me? #Cycling #SustainableMobility #Motonormativity #UrbanTransport 📸 by Illiya Vjestica on Unsplash