Cycle training needs Bikeability

A new study has found that local authorities with higher levels of Bikeability training are experiencing lower rates of serious road injuries and fatalities. The research, conducted by TRL for the Bikeability Trust, examined data from 2013 to 2022, finding a statistical association between Level 2 training and fewer overall KSIs (killed or seriously injured) and cyclist KSIs.

The Bikeability Trust’s Level 2 training equips children in Years 5 and 6 with essential skills for riding confidently on suburban roads with moderate traffic, marking their first experience with on-road cycling education. Before progressing to Level 2, children complete Level 1, a course in a traffic-free setting that teaches core cycle control skills.

Since the programme’s inception in 2007, more than five million children have participated in Bikeability training, a national initiative backed by record government funding to deliver over half a million placements annually.

Emily Cherry, chief executive, the Bikeability Trust, said: “Our research demonstrates how important Bikeability is an integral part of road safety measures for local authorities, along with increasing cycling rates. Bikeability training teaches the four key skills for cycling: observation, communication, positioning and priorities. These vital skills are key to reducing KSIs on the roads involving cyclists. Failure to look by driver or rider is the number one reason for traffic incidents and why our teaching is proven to increase safety through hazard perception and risk management.

“The government has an ambition to increase active travel for health and climate, and so Bikeability plays a vital role in keeping cyclists and other road users safe.”