Majority of people from Sheffield don’t feel safe cycling on UK roads

Hundreds took to the roads as Sheffield cyclists came together for their first ‘mass cycle event’ in the city

Sixty per cent of people from Sheffield do not feel that UK roads are safe for cyclists, according to a survey.

In 2021, approximately 6.5 million people participated in cycling, either for sport, leisure or travel, in England.

Not only is it good for the environment, but it can also be a good way to stay fit and healthy, and a great alternative to public transport or driving a car.

However, while cycling has grown in popularity since the pandemic, new research commissioned by national law firm Simpson Millar has revealed that most people from Sheffield do not feel that UK roads are designed safely for cyclists, higher than the national average of 57.6%.

According to the survey – which included 2,000 participants from across the country – pedal bike users feel most vulnerable on city centre roads where there is no dedicated cycle way, and at roundabouts.

The survey also revealed that around a third – 28.9% - of cyclists felt vulnerable on rural roads, a concern backed up by government data which shows that between 2015 and 2020, 56% of pedal cycle fatalities occurred on rural roads compared to 29% of traffic.

Those taking part in the survey were asked what additional measures should be brought in to help make cycling feel safer, with a significant number of participants voting for more cycle lanes on busy routes – 49.7%. Wider cycle lanes at 37.8%, compulsory use of bicycle taillights and indicators at 33.1% and more cycle-friendly junctions/roundabouts at 32.3% were also popular options.

Simpson Millar’s head of personal injury law Melanie Burden, said: “Cycling is incredibly popular in the UK. It’s great for exercise, a fantastic transport mode, and we have some of the most incredible countryside for people to explore. We want to encourage more people to get on their bikes and enjoy cycling.

“However, there is clearly work to be done by the Government and local authorities to do more to encourage more people to get on their bikes and to make the roads safer for all road users.

“This report shows that there is a real need for a better infrastructure to be put in place for cycling, as it is across mainland Europe, to head off the climate crisis, enable people to save money and reduce traffic by leaving their cars at home and creating a healthier population that costs the NHS less money and benefits us all.”

According to the Department for Transport, in 2021 111 pedal cyclists were killed and 4,353 were reported to be seriously injured in Great Britain, and the latest provisional report released in November 2022 shows that there were 99 fatalities in the year ending June 2022.

And some people in Sheffield are acting on concerns regarding the safety of taking a pedal bike out on the road, with the Simpson Millar survey showing that 3.1% of local participants who used to cycle frequently ‘don’t anymore due to safety concerns’ – less than the national average of 6.6%.

Further analysis of the data found that people in Norwich felt the most strongly that in general, UK roads are not safe for cyclists, followed by people in Nottingham and Cardiff.

According to the DfT, the weekday peak time for pedal cyclist KSIs (people killed or seriously injured) is from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 7pm. By contrast, the pattern differs for Saturday and Sunday for both trips and KSIs. During the weekend there is a single peak around mid-morning (10 am to 12 noon) which gradually tails off during the afternoon and evening.