The night-walkers of Uganda

Watch where you walk 
One of the best ways to reduce your exposure to 
air pollution, says Dr Roy Colvile, an expert in air-
quality management at Imperial College London, 
is to avoid walking along busy streets, instead 
choosing side streets and parks.
Pavement sense 
When you’re crossing a road, stand well back 
from the kerb while you wait for the lights to 
change. Every metre really does count when 
you are in close proximity to traffic, according 
to Colvile. Also, cross the road as quickly
as possible.
Avoid pollution spikes 
Predictably, there are large spikes in pollution 
during times of high traffic congestion – i.e., the 
morning and late-afternoon rush hours. Pollution 
levels generally fall during the night-time. The 
time of year can also make a big difference. 
Pollution levels tend to be at their lowest during 
the spring and autumn.
Going outside when there is less pollution is 
a good idea, but of course that’s not always 
realistic. In fact, the hottest part of a summer’s 
day - the time when most office workers go 
outside during their lunchbreak - is a particularly 
bad time to go out. Walking in the rain, on the 
other hand, is a good way of avoiding the worst 
air pollution, as the rain “cleans” the air both by 
washing out the pollutants and bringing with it 
fresher air.
Wear a mask 
Masks can be a good thing, but they only make 
a difference if they fit tightly and are cleaned 
regularly. If you don’t clean or change the 
mask regularly there is a danger of allowing 
oily organic compounds to build up on the filter. 
This can make the air you breathe dirtier rather
than cleaner.
Pushchairs 
According to the Royal Commission report, 
several recent studies indicate that “children 
living close to busy roads have an approximate 
50% increased risk of experiencing respiratory 
illness, including asthma”. Children are smaller 
than adults and therefore much closer to the 
source of pollution when walking beside roads. 
They also breathe more rapidly, and tend to 
inhale more pollution, than adults. One small 
step you can take is not to push them along in a 
buggy too close to traffic.