Over half of adults in Ireland (56%) say safety concerns are stopping them from cycling, with new RedClick research revealing that 69% worry about personal safety and 51% lack confidence cycling in traffic.

The findings, released during National Bike Week, highlight the need for safer, more inclusive streets – a focus of RedClick’s and Dublin Bikes’ new Shared Streets campaign.

The insurer is the commercial partner of the RedClick dublinbikes scheme, which is operated by JCDecaux on behalf of Dublin City Council.

The research was conducted by polling company Ireland Thinks, with a nationally representative sample of 1,648 participants.

Concerns raised by respondents include the volume of traffic (66%), dangerous driving (61%), lack of segregated cycle lanes (40%), previous incidents or near-misses (21%), inadequate evening street lighting (21%), and weather conditions (34%).

Below EU average

Across Europe, 24% of EU citizens cycle at least once a week, rising to 61.3% in the Netherlands, 47% in Denmark, and 42% in Finland.

However, just 13% of Irish respondents report cycling at least once per week, while 5% cycle more than once per month.

A striking 82% admit to cycling rarely or never.

Most people cycle for leisure or exercise (25%), with fewer doing so to commute (6%) or cycle with children or family (9%).

Barriers persist

Cycling is widely recognised for its benefits, with the most frequently cited being improved physical and mental health (32%), enjoyment (27%), environmental impact (21%), and time savings (23%). Others pointed to the ease of parking (12%) and the freedom from relying on public transport.

However, several behavioural and practical challenges remain. In addition to safety-related concerns, respondents cited poor weather (34%), long distances (33%), lack of confidence cycling in traffic (51%), and personal safety (33%) as key deterrents. Others pointed to the inconvenience of arriving sweaty or windswept (18%), limited access to secure bike parking (15%), and inadequate workplace facilities such as showers or changing rooms (12%).

Women face greater safety barriers

The research reveals a clear gender gap in how safe people feel cycling in Ireland. 62% of women say safety concerns have prevented them from cycling, compared to 49% of men – meaning women are over 25% more likely than men to avoid cycling due to safety fears. Among those who experience barriers to cycling, women were also more likely to cite lack of confidence in traffic (22% vs 12%), poor evening lighting (16% vs 7%), and personal security concerns (73% vs 65%).

These insights highlight the importance of continuing to build cycling environments that feel safe, inclusive, and accessible for all.

Government investment in cycling infrastructure

The Irish Government has invested over €1 billion in cycling infrastructure since 2020, with a commitment to spend €1 million per day on walking and cycling projects in 2025, as announced in Budget 2025.

These investments support the goals of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, which aims to deliver at least 500,000 additional daily active travel and public transport journeys by 2030.

Building on this momentum, the findings suggest there is now an opportunity to focus on day-to-day improvements such as road safety, secure parking, and cycling confidence to support even broader participation.

Changing how people cycle

Cycling habits are evolving, with more people opting for shared and electric alternatives.  4% now own an electric bike, 1% own a cargo bike, and 5% use bike-sharing services such as RedClick dublinbikes. Usage is particularly high in Dublin, where 9% of adults say they use a bike-sharing scheme.

When asked what changes would encourage them or others to cycle more, safer roads and improved driver–cyclist etiquette emerged as the top priority (56%). Other suggestions included more dedicated cycle lanes (38%), better secure parking (22%), greater policing of bike theft (22%), improved street lighting (17%), and more supportive workplace facilities (18%).

“As proud partners of the RedClick dublinbikes scheme,  we’re proud to support National Bike Week with new research that gives insight into how people feel about cycling today, and what would help make it a more realistic option for more people,” said RedClick General Manager Lorenzo Ioan.

“People clearly recognise the health, environmental and lifestyle benefits of cycling. And while the survey highlights certain barriers, they are practical and solvable – especially with the strong foundation already in place thanks to sustained Government investment in cycling infrastructure.”

“That’s why we launched the Shared Streets campaign: to help close the gap between intention and action by supporting safer, more inclusive public spaces where cycling is not just possible, but actively supported and encouraged.”

“Behavioural change takes time, which is why this research from RedClick is so important,” added Shared Streets Campaign ambassador and Sunday Times journalist Jo Linehan.

“It highlights the areas where further education, communication and support is required to help encourage even more people in Ireland to saddle up this summer and beyond.

“With recent investments in cycling infrastructure across the country and the clear enthusiasm from survey respondents about the environmental and health benefits of cycling, there’s no reason why we can’t encourage more people to cycle across Ireland.”

 

Further Reading for Sport for Business members:

Cycling Ireland Publishes Five Year Strategic Plan to 2029

 

SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE

The percentage of those cycling being so low in comparison to Europe is a major factor to overcome when it comes to getting public buy-in for the disruption caused by infrastructure projects creating safer cycling.  Hopefully they will lead to that behavioural change, making the next iteration an easier ‘sell’.

WHAT’S UP NEXT?

This is National Bike Week and we will have a story tomorrow on a novel mobility school established in one of Dublin City’s main suburban parks.

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