Aggressive driver behaviour, speeding, poor cycling infrastructure and the increased size of vehicles are deterring women from getting on their bikes, research by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has found.
Most women in Ireland can cycle and have access to a bike, but are only half as likely as men to choose cycling as a mode of travel, according to the Empowering Women to Cycle report.
The research involved a survey of more than 1,000 women from urban, suburban and rural areas, as well workshops, interviews and “travel diaries”. The report is the first commissioned by the State transport agency that asked women why they do or don’t cycle and what would encourage them to cycle.
A perception that concern about appearance discouraged women from cycling was not borne out, the report said. “Only 15 per cent of our survey respondents considered this a deterrent factor. Of more importance were aspects such as road safety, infrastructure and personal safety concerns.”
RM Block
Only 3 per cent of women surveyed had never cycled and almost 70 per cent considered themselves “confident” cyclists. However, women complete just 1.3 per cent of their trips by bicycle compared with 3 per cent of journeys taken by men.
Half those surveyed said unsafe roads were a barrier to cycling.
“Women in the workshop observed how urban sprawl and car-based land-use planning has left many with little practical option but to travel by car.”
Participants noted the “characteristics of road traffic in Ireland are changing”, with an increasing “car culture” and “aggressive” driver behaviour. “Women’s concerns revolve around high traffic speeds and volume, as well as the increasing size of vehicles.”
One suburban-based woman told researchers: “I think the majority of Irish drivers do not know what it’s like to be a cyclist in Ireland. I believe if they cycled Irish roads for even just a week, they would understand cyclists much more.”
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A woman living in a rural location said she lived only one mile from a town, but the road was unsafe to cycle on due to the “huge volume” of traffic. “The cars just fly along ... and people pull into the hard shoulder to let somebody overtake them. So it’s not safe, really.”
Negative attitudes towards cycling were cited by 45 per cent of those surveyed, with women describing some abusive encounters.
“Sometimes I just get unpleasant interactions with groups of men or groups of teenage boys that’ll yell something at me as I’m going past,” a city-based woman said. “I once had some teenage lads try and step in front of me while I was cycling, and made to grab my bike, and I just had to yell at them and go round them.”
Others saw their bike as a safer option than walking.
“If I’m out and I’m passing a bunch of young lads and they’re menacing or fooling or whatever, I find if I’m walking it takes a while to get past them, but if I’m cycling I’m past them fairly quickly. So, it kind of increases the safety in those situations.”
Another urban-based woman said: “I actually never felt unsafe because I felt that I was on a getaway vehicle.”
Almost 30 per cent of survey respondents said segregated cycle lanes would encourage them to cycle more, 27 per cent called for well-lit routes, a quarter wanted better-connected routes and 22 per cent called for protection at junctions.
“We have lanes that are supposed to be for cyclists and instead people park their car there,” a city-based woman said.
The research will be used to inform the development of infrastructure, TII said.
