Nearly eight out of ten children never cycle to school, despite over two-thirds of parents saying it would be their preferred method of transport, according to new research.
Research from RedClick/Ireland Thinks shows only 5% of children cycle to school daily.
When asked why cycling is not feasible, the leading reasons were the distance to school is too far at 54%, school bags are too heavy at 41%, unpredictable weather at 39% and a parent’s lack of confidence cycling with their children at 22%.
For parents of secondary school students, distance remains the leading challenge at 54%, followed closely by unsuitable school uniforms at 49%, a lack of confidence cycling at 46% and concerns over the impact on personal appearance at 42%.
Watch: Distance among key reasons children not cycling to school – survey
Úna Morrison, from the Irish Cycling Campaign, said it is great to see so many parents wishing their children could cycle to school but she added that she is not surprised by the figures.
She said: “I’m a mum of three primary aged children, who are all physically able to cycle to school but it’s not something they can do every day.
“Physically they are a lot smaller, with SUVs beside them there’s no visibility and there is not a safe route for them.
“It’s essentially just paint on the side of a road once they come out of our house to go to school.”
Parents said one reason children are cycling less is screen time
Mr Morrison said there are “some areas that are excellent” but said some parts of journey “are not and it’s not safe”.
The research found that children are cycling less than their parents did.
Parents attributed this decline primarily to two factors, screen time and indoor habits.
Of the respondents, 42% pointed to the fact that children stay indoors on smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles much more in today’s world.
“What’s really interesting is yes parents feel maybe they don’t have the confidence to send their children out but what’s fascinating and really encouraging is that the parents who do send their children out on bicycles see they have a lot more confidence and they have better decision-making skills,” Jo Linehan, sustainability journalist, said.
When asked what would encourage a higher take up of cycling, the research showed that 48% identified additional safer cycling infrastructure as the single most effective intervention, while 28% called for the introduction of a targeted ‘Bike to School’ scheme, similar to the ‘Bike to Work’ scheme.