According to the study conducted by the Red de ciudades por la bicicleta, says in its 2017 Bicycle Barometer, that almost half of Spanish cyclists between the ages of 12 and 79, use the bicycle with some frequency and a quarter of them on a weekly basis.
THE BICYCLE IS HERE TO STAY
There has been an increase in the number of users who use it for their daily commuting, going to work or to school. They also request that private companies encourage the use of these vehicles by providing parking spaces. The Basque Country and both Castillas (Castilla y León and Castilla La Mancha) are at the top of the list, while the Canary Islands are at the bottom.
The availability of bicycles is 74.9%, three out of four Spaniards have a bicycle at home and six out of ten Spaniards have one for personal use. Therefore, we understand that there are approximately 30 million bicycles in Spain.
Cyclists prefer to use bike lanes or 30 zones, rather than riding on the road alongside vehicles, as they consider it risky. Regarding accidents, almost 15% of cyclists have had an accident without third party involvement. 25.3% have been victims of a hit-and-run accident. In addition, accidents on mountain roads and highways are on the rise, while they are decreasing in urban areas. It should be noted that 16% of cyclists have had at least one bicycle stolen.
THE USE OF BICYCLES
Walking and sports are still the main uses of bicycles, but in large cities they are also used on a regular basis for daily commuting. Spanish cyclists continue to consider health and mobility as the most appreciated attributes of cycling, as well as its ecological and economic character. While the most mentioned disadvantages are the danger involved, when commuting and coexisting with traffic and the lack of bike lanes.
As we can see, more and more people are using bicycles, and Spanish cyclists are becoming more and more aware of the use of this transport to reduce the pollution that we find especially in the big cities of our country. Regular cyclists are well aware of the benefits that this vehicle can bring. On the other hand, more people need to enjoy them.
Finally, we must mention the need to seek the perfect coexistence between cyclists and motor vehicles, in order to effectively increase the use of bicycles.
