‘Put our safety first!’ - Healthy Life Essex

Women in the East of England join Sustrans in an urgent safety plea to governments.

Women don’t believe that British roads are safe enough for them to cycle on. That is the clear message from a poll of women by sustainable transport charity Sustrans.

The poll revealed that 75 per cent of women in the East of England never ride a bike at all and concerns for their own safety emerged as the most common reason why they won’t cycle.

Governments have yet to take the problem seriously, but, women who are no longer prepared to feel prevented from cycling by an unsafe environment can now make their feelings known.

From Tuesday 1 September to the end of November women in East of England will join others across Britain visiting www.bikebelles.org.uk to support ‘Motion for Women’, Sustrans’ urgent plea to governments to make conditions safer for women to cycle.

Sarah Leeming, Sustrans Active Travel Coordinator in the East of England, said: ‘Women are telling us in no uncertain terms that they don’t feel the roads are safe enough for them to cycle on.  Their response so far to the woefully inadequate provisions for cyclists has been simple; they don’t cycle.’    

‘But, women are also telling us that they desperately want that situation to change.  The desire to cycle, and to enjoy all the benefits that cycling brings, is becoming a priority for women.  We need to make it a priority for governments too and push for real changes in the way our villages, towns and cities are planned.  Sustrans is rallying women to turn their concerns into positive action by registering their support to the petition so we can ensure their voices are heard.’  

Some of the vital changes that women believe are necessary include the creation of more cycle lanes that are separated from all other vehicles – in the Sustrans poll 63 per cent of women across the East of England believe this would encourage more women to travel by bike.

Sustrans’ ‘Motion for Women’ petition will be open for 90 days from 1 September.  Women are asked to add their support at www.bikebelles.org.uk then circulate to all the women in their lives who deserve a safer space for cycling. 

Further information about Sustrans, including other news releases and detailed online route mapping, is available through our website: www.sustrans.org.uk

See the Healthy Life article “Bike Belles in Essex“