Dangerous roads putting Irish people off cycling, new survey finds

Around 80% of Irish people never or rarely ride a bike, a new survey has found, with just 13% cycling weekly.
Despite the Government spending over €1 billion on cycling infrastructure since 2020, the main reason given for not using pedal-powered transport was the country's dangerous roads.
The study found that over half of adults in Ireland (56%) would not take up cycling due to safety concerns.
The findings come ahead of National Bike Week which began on Saturday and at a time when the number of cyclists is way down on the European average despite the massive government spending on promoting cycling in the last five years.
Across Europe, 24% of EU citizens cycle at least once a week – rising to 61.3% in the Netherlands, 47% in Denmark, and 42% in Finland.
But just 13% of Irish respondents report cycling at least once per week, with only 5% cycling more than once per month while a striking 82% admit to rarely or never riding a bike.
The lack of safe bicycle lanes, especially in towns and cities across the country also appears to be a major factor inhibiting the takeup of cycling.
The survey found that most people cycle for leisure or exercise (25%), with fewer than 10% doing so to commute or cycle with children or family.
One of the main reasons for not cycling the RedClick Shared Streets survey found was the issue of safety, especially among women.
It found that females were over 25% more likely than men to say safety concerns have stopped them cycling.
Other top barriers for not getting on a bike included the volume of traffic on the country's roads (66%), dangerous driving (61%) and lack of segregated bike lanes (40%).
Previous incidents or near-misses as well as poor street lighting were also concerns raised by those reluctant to get on a bike.
Many respondents also pointed out the impracticality of using a bike as their mode of transport, especially when going to work.
In addition to safety-related concerns, respondents cited poor weather (34%) as a deterrent while others pointed to the inconvenience of arriving sweaty or windswept (18%) at their destination.
Another complaint was limited access to secure bike parking (15%), and inadequate workplace facilities such as showers or changing rooms (12%). When it came to ownership the study found that 35% of adults own a standard bike; 4% own an electric bike, 1% possess a cargo bike while 5% use RedClick dublinbikes or other bike sharing services In the capital the study found that nine percent of adults use RedClick dublinbikes or another bike share scheme.
While the numbers taking to the road on bikes is increasing the survey shows that there is still a long way to go to reach average EU cycling levels despite the huge amounts spent on infrastructure by the government.
In its National Sustainability Mobility Policy the government aims to deliver at least 500,000 additional daily active travel and public transport journeys by 2030.
The Government is continuing to invest in cycling infrastructure with €1million per day earmarked for active travel in 2025.
The research was conducted by independent polling company Ireland Thinks, with a nationally representative sample of 1,648 participants on behalf of RedClick.
The company's general manager Lorenzo Ioan said: 'As proud partners of the RedClick dublinbikes scheme, operated by JCDecaux on behalf of Dublin City Council, we're proud to support National Bike Week with new research that gives insight into how people feel about cycling today - and what would help make it a more realistic option for more people.
'People clearly recognise the health, environmental and lifestyle benefits of cycling. And while the survey highlights certain barriers, they are practical and solvable - especially with the strong foundation already in place thanks to sustained Government investment in cycling infrastructure.
'That's why we launched the Shared Streets campaign: to help close the gap between intention and action by supporting safer, more inclusive public spaces where cycling is not just possible, but actively supported and encouraged.'

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