On a chilly winter evening in the heart of Europe’s automotive industry, a cyclist who advocated for safer roadways took his final ride. Andreas Mandalka had spent years capturing instances of hazardous driving and inadequate cycling infrastructure, documenting how closely cars passed him and sharing videos of egregious traffic rule violations. While he often emphasized that only a minority of drivers acted recklessly, the 44-year-old blogger from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, became increasingly disillusioned with local authorities, feeling that they perceived him as an annoyance.
As he pedaled along a newly renovated road adjacent to a forest path he had previously criticized for its poor conditions, equipped with bright lights on his bicycle and a secure helmet, he was tragically struck from behind by a vehicle.
“That night, I glanced at my phone before going to bed and came across a police report about an accident in our area,” recalled Siegfried Schüle, a friend of Mandalka’s involved with a cycling organization in Pforzheim. “A strange feeling washed over me. I shared a tweet from the police, typos and all, asking, ‘Andreas, how are you?’ That turned out to be my last communication with him.”
Mandalka was one of 19,934 fatalities recorded on European Union roads in 2024, which are considered among the safest globally. Traffic accidents account for approximately 1.19 million deaths each year worldwide.
As automotive manufacturers introduce larger and more polluting models, the exacerbating issues of air quality, climate change, and fluctuating fuel prices are driving renewed initiatives to reduce society’s reliance on cars.
“This isn’t about taking away anyone’s freedom,” stated Schüle, a startup entrepreneur. “It’s about ensuring that everyone, including those without a driver’s license, has the same opportunity to travel safely.”
Public health professionals face challenges in communicating the dangers posed by cars without sounding overly alarmist. Loud vehicles, primarily powered by fossil fuels that contaminate the atmosphere and contribute to global warming, speed past educational institutions, residences, and healthcare facilities. Tires release road dust and microplastics into the environment. The extensive infrastructure designed for vehicles limits the availability of cycling paths, compelling commuters to drive more and engage in less physical activity, while also reducing green spaces for social interaction and enjoyment of nature. The loss of greenery results in increased temperatures, more severe flash flooding, and heightened stress levels.
“The list of issues goes on,” explained Dr. Audrey de Nazelle, an environmental epidemiologist at Imperial College London. However, she noted that the complex nature of these risks complicates efforts to decrease car dependency. Policymakers often focus on isolated solutions, such as promoting electric vehicles to mitigate climate impacts and integrating safety features to reduce traffic fatalities.
“In governance, there seems to be a separate solution for each problem, but no holistic approach to harness all potential benefits, which hampers progress,” Dr. de Nazelle added.
Signs of discontent are becoming more apparent. Mayors globally are increasingly empowered to reallocate road space in pursuit of cleaner air, and many drivers, driven by factors such as cost, comfort, health, or environmental concerns, express a desire to reduce their time behind the wheel. A recent Ipsos survey in Europe indicated that more individuals report increased walking and public transportation usage over the past five years, while the popularity of personal vehicles has slightly declined. Even in the car-dominated United States, nearly 20% of car-owning adults in urban and suburban areas expressed a strong interest in living without a car, according to a study released in February, with 40% open to the possibility.
Interestingly, the latest calls to reduce road usage are coming from energy experts rather than health professionals or environmental activists. In March, the International Energy Agency (IEA) promoted car-sharing, slower driving, and remote work as ways to alleviate the financial burden of rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict. It warned against blanket subsidies to combat high fuel prices, suggesting instead that support be directed towards those most affected.
Despite increasing motivations to diminish car reliance, vehicle sizes continue to expand. Larger vehicles inherently consume more fuel, emit greater pollution, occupy more space, and cause more extensive damage in accidents. In Europe, where a significant portion of new car sales are SUVs, the average weight of vehicles has climbed by 9% for combustion engine cars and a staggering 70% for battery electric vehicles since 2010, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation, a non-profit research organization. This trend of larger electric vehicles may also hinder the shift away from fossil fuel-powered cars by making cleaner options less financially accessible.
“Europe stands at a critical juncture,” remarked Lucien Mathieu, director of cars at Transport and Environment (T&E), a non-profit based in Brussels. He emphasized the choice before the continent: to produce “compact, affordable electric vehicles” that have gained traction in developing nations or to continue adopting the costly “mega SUVs and monster trucks” prevalent in the U.S., where over 80% of vehicles sold are now SUVs, vans, or pickup trucks, according to official statistics.
Currently, the SUVs populating European roads are relatively modest compared to their North American counterparts, and the primary health risks stem more from increased bumper heights than from the additional pollution caused by their weight. However, even larger vehicles are beginning to appear on the horizon. Numerous pickup trucks, including models like the Dodge Ram 1500 and Ford F-150, have recently been introduced to European streets, circumventing EU safety regulations through a loophole that permits individual vehicle imports under less strict criteria. Efforts to close this gap have been complicated by a trade agreement between the U.S. and the EU established last year, which advocates for mutual recognition of each other’s automotive standards.
