More than one in two cyclists worldwide say that cycling is still too dangerous in their local area, according to an Ipsos study conducted jointly in 28 countries. The lack of dedicated infrastructure and the behavior of other road users are often cited.
Today, the bicycle has become the most common mode 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%). Overall, 35% of those surveyed ride their bike at least once a week. However, it is far from being seen as a safe mode of transportation.
Globally, 52% of those surveyed believe that traveling by bicycle in their local area is still too dangerous. This proportion is higher among people living in large cities (58%) than those living in rural areas (47%).
It is in Chile and Colombia (70%) that the highest proportion of people consider cycling too dangerous, both because of the almost non-existent infrastructure and the risky behavior of other road users. Respondents in Mexico and Peru (68%), Malaysia (65%), Argentina and Saudi Arabia (64%) are also particularly concerned about their safety when traveling by bicycle.
In France, this proportion is 61%, which is well above the average (52%), justifying continued investment in a dense and safe bicycle network. Conversely, respondents in the Netherlands (14%), Sweden (31%), Norway and Poland (32%) do not feel the same fears when cycling in their local area.
As a result, it is perhaps not surprising that in most of the countries surveyed, a majority of respondents favor giving bicycles priority over cars in new infrastructure projects in their local area.
Across the 28 countries surveyed, 63% of adults surveyed said they knew how to ride a bicycle, and 42% said they owned one. The Netherlands, Poland and Sweden have the highest rates of bicycle ownership.
The survey was conducted online from March 25 to April 8, 2022, among 20,057 adults over the age of 16 in 28 countries (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States).
.
