On your bike, kids! Parents need to give children freedom to roam
MILLIONS of children’s bikes are lying barely used in sheds and back gardens, according to a new survey. But parents are partly to blame, because they are too worried to let their youngsters out on them, found the poll, commissioned by the store chain Halfords.
It discovered that only four in ten children ride their bikes more than once a week. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) do so weekly, the survey of 1,000 households revealed, while the remainder cycle fortnightly or even less often.
The results suggest children are missing out on the freedom of exploring on two wheels, a pastime their parents would have enjoyed when they were young.
Fears over road safety and ‘stranger danger’ appear to be limiting bike use. Forty-two per cent of parents said they would not let their children ride alone while more than a third (35 per cent) said they were concerned about road safety. Martin Key, campaigns manager for British Cycling, said: ‘Worries about safety put people of all ages off. We need significant investment in cycle lanes.’ Simon Irons, group cycling director at Halfords, added that being properly kitted out with helmets, high visibility clothing and lights helped ensure riders were safe, as did bike servicing by trained technicians. And he said new technology could make a ride ‘even more fun and exciting’ for parents and children. ‘Helmet cameras and GPS devices are really useful and great fun to use,’ he added.