Why don’t women in the UK cycle as much as women in the Netherlands?

PRESS RELEASE FROM SUSTRANS:

Everyone has something in their cupboard or wardrobe that they’ve bought but never used and research from sustainable transport charity Sustrans shows that nearly half of all women (44 per cent) have access to a bike but three quarters of women do not cycle at all.

The reasons women don’t cycle vary from their concerns about safety to the problems of what to wear and the weather. Sustrans, who have been developing the National Cycle Network for the past three decades, believe that a combination of dedicated cycle lanes and good information on how and where to cycle are two key elements that would increase the number of women cyclists to European levels. In the Netherlands 32 per cent of women’s trips are made by bike.

To help people make the most of those unused cycles Sustrans produces “Free Your Bike” packs. The packs offer free bespoke information for anyone keen on taking their bike out in their local area, visit freeyourbike.org.uk or call 0845 113 0065.

The research, commissioned from BMRB, also shows the gender divide over cycling – around eight per cent of men cycle every day compared to just one per cent of women.

Both men and women in East Anglia are the most cycle-inclined, 62 per cent of households have access to a bike and nearly half (43 per cent) cycle at some time. At the other end of the spectrum London has the lowest bike ownership – only 37 per cent of households have them and the people of the North West has the most reluctant bike users – 79 per cent of people don’t cycle at all.

BMRB carried out its research in July 2008. It surveyed 2008 adults aged
16+.