Everyday action · tip no. 5
Short trips on foot or by bike: good for the climate and your health
According to Insee, 60% of workers in France who live less than 5 km from their workplace drive there. These short trips are the easiest to replace with walking or cycling, with benefits for the climate, your health and your budget.
Cars are the largest source of emissions from everyday transport. Yet many car journeys are short: according to Insee, France's national statistics institute, in 2017, 60% of workers living less than 5 kilometres from their workplace drove there, as did half of those living less than one kilometre away. These are the easiest trips to replace: by bike or e-bike, 5 km takes about twenty minutes; on foot, one kilometre takes about fifteen.
Why short car trips weigh more than you think
The cold engine
A combustion engine uses more fuel when it starts, until it reaches its operating temperature. On a trip of a few kilometres, the car drives with a cold engine for much of the time: fuel use and emissions per kilometre are therefore higher than on a long journey.
One car for one person
For everyday trips, a car most often carries a single person. According to ADEME data, a petrol or diesel car with one person on board emits around 200 grams of CO₂ equivalent per kilometre, including the manufacture of the vehicle. A daily round trip of 2 × 4 km, 220 days a year, therefore adds up to about 1,760 km and around 350 kg of CO₂ equivalent per year.
And it is not just about the climate
Short trips in town also concentrate air pollution, noise and traffic jams. Fewer cars on these trips means cleaner air for everyone, especially for children around schools.
What the data say
- Insee, 2021 (2017 census): 60% of workers who work less than 5 km from home use a car to get there.
- Petrol or diesel car, one person on board: around 200 g of CO₂ equivalent per kilometre according to ADEME data.
- Cycling and walking: almost no emissions in use. Even an e-bike, counting the manufacture of its battery, emits far less per kilometre than a car.
- Health: the World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Twenty minutes of cycling per working day almost meets this target.
How to do it in practice
1. Identify your trips under 5 km
For a week, note down your car journeys and their distance: work, school, shopping, the bakery, children's activities. You may be surprised by the number of short trips. Start with the ones that are easiest to do differently.
2. Walk for very short trips
Under one or two kilometres, walking is often as quick as driving once you count the time it takes to park. It is also a moment to relax or make a phone call.
3. Try cycling, or an e-bike
The bike is the fastest way to get around town for distances up to about 5 km, and an e-bike extends that to 10 km or more, without arriving sweaty and flattening the hills. To get started:
- try the route at the weekend, when it is quiet, to find cycle lanes and calm streets;
- many cities offer bike-sharing schemes or long-term rentals, ideal for trying before you buy;
- grants for buying a bike exist in many places: check with your local authority;
- in France, your employer can pay you a sustainable mobility allowance for cycling to work: ask them.
4. Get equipped to ride safely
A good lock, front and rear lights, a vest or visible clothing at night, and a helmet, compulsory in France for children under 12 and strongly recommended for everyone. Mudguards and a pannier make the bike much more practical day to day, even in the rain.
5. Combine modes
For longer journeys, cycling or walking can be combined with public transport: bike to the station, then train or bus. Car-sharing also divides the emissions of a car journey by the number of passengers.
6. If you keep the car
For trips where the car remains essential, smooth driving (anticipating, avoiding sudden acceleration, keeping to speed limits) reduces fuel use. So do keeping your tyres properly inflated and removing unused roof boxes.
Misconceptions to avoid
- "Cycling is dangerous." The risk exists, but it falls as cycling infrastructure and the number of cyclists increase. Public health studies generally conclude that the benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risks.
- "I don't have time." In town, for less than 5 km, cycling is often as fast as driving, with no hunting for a parking space and no traffic jams. And it sometimes replaces a workout.
- "It rains too much." With the right gear, you can ride in the rain more often than you think. And nothing forces you to cycle every day: a few trips a week already make a difference.
In short
- 60% of workers in France living less than 5 km from their workplace drive there, according to Insee.
- A short car trip emits a lot per kilometre, because of the cold engine and the low occupancy.
- On foot or by bike, these trips emit almost nothing and improve your health.
- Start by identifying your short trips, try cycling at the weekend, and look into available grants.