“I’m a nervous wreck when I cycle“ cycling to school with children in Ireland : Insights from parents

• 43% of parents feel safe cycling to school, but 25% of parents rarely feel safe. • Parents who report feeling safe cycle more frequently per week than expected. • The presence of segregated cycle lanes is correlated to reported perceived safety. • Major barriers to cycling to school are poor infrastructure and driver behaviour. • Coping mechanisms include cycling on footpaths, longer routes or stopping cycling. Cycling is a key component of the green transition, and it offers numerous environmental and health benefits, including reduced emissions, lower air and noise pollution, and improved physical wellbeing. Commuting to school by bicycle is one way to normalize cycling among children, which can lead to a long term behavioural routine. However, safety concerns remain a significant barrier, particularly in car-oriented countries such as Ireland. This study investigates factors influencing parental perceptions of safety when cycling to school with their children. Data were collected through an online survey (n = 342) and two focus groups (n = 10) with parents who cycle to school with their children. The survey combined multiple-choice and open-ended questions, and the focus groups followed a semi-structured format. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, while qualitative data underwent a thematic analysis. Findings show that 43% of survey respondents felt safe cycling to school, while 25% of respondents rarely or never felt safe. The thematic analysis identified four key themes influencing perceived safety: road infrastructure, interactions with other road users, coping strategies, and broader social factors, such as gender. Major concerns included poorly designed or absent cycling infrastructure, disregard for traffic laws, weak enforcement, and unsafe driver behaviour. Coping strategies ranged from cycling on footpaths or using alternative routes to restricting children’s cycling altogether. The results identified specific parameters that affect families’ perceived safety of bike commutes In Ireland. These findings will inform subsequent research on identifying and mitigating unsafe areas along cycle routes to schools.