Four in 10 children almost never cycle to school

Four in 10 children in Denmark almost never cycle to school, according to new figures from the Cyclists’ Federation, DR reports.

Director Kenneth Øhrberg Krag said fewer children cycle to school today than in the past. Compared with 30 years ago, the proportion has almost halved, he said.

“We define ourselves in Denmark as a cycling nation. You cannot look at a tourist brochure without seeing a bicycle. But will that also be the image we have in 20 or 30 years? I fear it will not,” Krag said.

When parents are asked why their children do not cycle to school more often, just under half say the distance is either too long or too short. In addition, slightly more than one in four parents choose not to let their children cycle because they do not feel safe about the route to school.

Development has stalled

In 2014, the then government launched a national cycling strategy that was intended, among other things, to get more children cycling to school. But the development has since stalled. The proportion of children who rarely or never cycle to school has in fact increased slightly.

“We have a 12-year-old cycling strategy that may mostly have been words on a piece of paper. We need a new national cycling strategy with greater ambitions and more funding if we want children to cycle more,” Krag said.

Jens Høyer-Kruse, a sports researcher at SDU, is also concerned about the lack of progress.

“We have a strong cycling culture in Denmark, but we can see signs that it will be significantly weakened in the future if we do not teach young people to cycle instead of travelling by car or public transport,” he said.

Høyer-Kruse said cycling to school has both physical and mental benefits. It supports cardiovascular health, strengthens bones and physical fitness, and can improve mental health and quality of life.

He also said that a fresh cycle ride to school can reduce disruption in classrooms and improve students’ concentration.

Transport Minister Signe Munk told DR that cycle paths near schools will receive additional support when funding from the 2026 cycling fund is distributed later this year.

“I completely agree that we need to make an effort to get more children cycling,” the minister wrote.

Munk did not address whether a new cycling strategy is being prepared. She said most municipalities are working to create good and safe routes to school, and that she strongly supports those efforts.