66% of adults say it's too dangerous to cycle on roads

10th August 2020

66% say it's too dangerous to cycle on roads — Percentages who agree that 'it is too dangerous for me to cycle on the roads'

66% of adults in England say that it's too dangerous for them to cycle on the roads, according to Walking and Cycling Statistics released by the DfT on 5th August 2020. Broken down by gender, 71% of women and 61% of men feel it's too dangerous.

Cycling stats

DfT cycling summary 2019 — Cycling summary 2019

Cycling made up about 2% of all trips in 2019, and 1% of total distance travelled. (Walking accounted for 26% of trips and 3% of distance).

DfT stats - Cycling Stages 2019 — Total cycling stages in England

The 2% amounts to 17 cycling 'stages' per person per year, taking account of the whole population of England. On the other hand, 'cyclists' averaged 326 trips per year (6 per week).

Overall, 11% of adults cycled at least once per week, but in Cambridge that figure was 55%, and in Oxford it was 40%.

People in their 40s cycled the most, and men made three times more cycle trips than women, and cycled four times further.

36% of cycling trips were for commuting or business, and 34% for leisure.

Cycling to school

Mode of travel to school 2019 — Mode of travel to school

Only 3% of all children usually cycled to school.

Sources of the figures

These statistics come from the National Travel Survey and the Active Lives Survey. They are for 2019, so don't include any increase in cycling during the Coronavirus lockdown.