„Active, mobile + safe = healthy“ is part of LIFE CYCLE, an EU-project that aims to promote cycling as a lifelong activity and thereby contributes to an improvement of public health. Target groups of all age groups, from children to seniors, were addressed and motivated to cycle by this project. LIFE CYCLE was implemented within the “Programme of Community action in the field of public health” by DG Sanco, from 2008 to 2011, and consists of an international project consortium. Austrian Mobility research is part of the project consortium of ten partners. Within the school project „active, mobile + safe = healthy“, Austrian Mobility Research initiated a cooperation with two schools in Graz. In doing so, the issues of health — physical activity — nutrition — road safety were linked together. The aim was to test and further develop well-known measures that promote active mobility behaviour, and to disseminate those measures which seem to be most successful. While implementing, educational mobility measures to promote every day cycling were completed with units about healthy nutrition and physical activity. In the aftermath of the project implementation, the measures two-level bicycle training, bicycle training for families and bicycle repair courses proved to be most successful. The measure bicycle training in real traffic led to a clear increase in performance of children cycling skills in real road traffic. The bicycle training for families enabled the involvement of (grand) parents and thus led to a better acceptance and sustainability of these measures. Bicycle repair courses enabled the pupils to repair small bicycle defects independently. This keeps up their mobility. The project was well accepted by teachers and parents of both schools. It showed that the projects themes can fill pupils with enthusiasm. (Author/publisher)
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