In France, 61% of cyclists fear for their safety

More than one in two cyclists worldwide say cycling is still too dangerous close to home, according to a joint Ipsos survey of 28 countries. The lack of specific infrastructure and the behavior of other road users are often blamed.

Today, the bicycle is the most commonly used means of transport for short local trips in the Netherlands (45%) and China (33%). It is also very popular in Japan (27%), India (21%), Germany (21%) and Belgium (20%). In the end, 35% of those surveyed ride their bicycle at least once a week. Yet it is far from a safe means of transport.

52% of respondents believe that cycling is still dangerous today. This share is also higher among residents of large cities (58%) than among residents of rural areas (47%).

It is in Chile and Colombia (70%) that cyclists believe that today it is still the most dangerous to travel by bicycle, both because of the almost non-existent infrastructure and because of the risky behavior of other road users. Mexicans and Peruvians (68%), Malaysians (65%), Argentinians and Saudis (64%) also fear a lot for their safety while cycling.

It should be noted that in France this share is 61%, so well above the average (52%) and that this justifies continuing to invest in a dense and safe cycling network. Conversely, the Dutch (14%), Swedes (31%), Norwegians and Poles (32%) do not feel the same fears on the road.

It is therefore not surprising that in most of the countries surveyed, a large majority of citizens are in favor of giving priority to bicycles over cars in new infrastructure projects.

Overall, in the 28 countries surveyed, 63% of adults surveyed say they can ride a bike and 42% say they own one. The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden have the highest bicycle ownership.

This study was conducted online, from March 25 to April 8, 2022, among 20,057 adults over the age of 16, in 28 countries (South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Spain, United States, France, United Kingdom, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden and Turkey).

(ETX Daily Up)

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