Bikeability aims to encourage everyday cycling by developing the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for effective and confident on-road cycling. More than a million children have participated in Bikeability since its launch in 2007; currently, about half of all children are trained before they leave primary school, supported by annual funding of £11m from the Department for Transport (DfT). The policy purpose of Bikeability is to ‘get more people cycling more safely, more often’. The Bikeability Support Team at Steer Davies Gleave commissioned NFER to investigate the effects of Bikeability training on a child’s ability to perceive and appropriately respond to onroad cycling hazards. Most Bikeability training occurs during school time in Years 5 and 6 and combines Bikeability Level 1 (developing excellent bicycle handling skills in traffic-free environments and preparing for on-road cycling) and Level 2 (cycling on single-lane roads and using junctions). Achievement of the National Standard for Cycle Training outcomes, which underpin Bikeability at Level 2, certify a trainee’s ability to demonstrate consistently, competently and confidently independent decision making, sound hazard perception and safe cycling strategies. The main objective of the research was to test the hypothesis that Bikeability training improves a child’s ability to perceive and appropriately respond to on-road hazards faced by people who cycle. The research tested this overall hypothesis but also aimed to discover what particular aspects of children’s ability to perceive and appropriately respond to such hazards are improved by Bikeability training, relative to untrained children. In addition to answering the key research question, our research therefore enables conclusions to be drawn about the strengths of Bikeability training and any recommendations as to how such training might be improved. This report presents the findings of the research. The report is supplemented by the appendices, which provide further detail about the research and outcomes, including more detailed statistical information. The main research question for the study was: how does Bikeability affect the ability of children to perceive and appropriately respond to hazards when cycling on the road, if at all? Within this, a set of supplementary research questions were explored to address how (if at all) such effects are achieved: Are trained children more aware of common cycling hazards than untrained children i.e. are they better at hazard perception and appropriately responding to hazards than untrained children? Are trained children better at making independent decisions which reduce risk? Do trained children select safer cycling strategies – i.e. observation, communication, road position, priorities? - Observational skills (observation) - are they more aware of other road users? - Signalling knowledge and skills (communication) - are they better at knowing when to signal their intentions (and when not), and how to communicate to best effect? - Road positioning skills (road position) - do they select optimal road positions for different phases of their cycling journey? - Knowledge of priorities (priorities) - do they have a better understanding of their priorities (rights of way) and those of other road users? The research questions were explored by means of an on-screen quiz that assesses children’s hazard perception and appropriate response ability. The quiz was taken by both trained and untrained pupils and validated by a practical assessment of Bikeability-trained children. The Bikeability Delivery Guide defines hazard perception as ‘the ability to identify hazards ahead well in advance thereby enabling the cyclist to anticipate, prepare for and reduce their risk’ (p. 48). At Level 2, one of the compulsory outcomes is ‘be aware of potential hazards’. Good observation improves hazard perception and thus allows for good forward planning. Preparation for hazards helps to reduce risk. In particular, awareness of potential hazards refers to: demonstrating an awareness of other road users at all times, both in front and behind * looking for hazards * being aware of pedestrians and others on the pavement ahead of them, who might step into their path, and of driveways and other entrances, from which vehicles might emerge into their path. Four elements of effective hazard perception and appropriate response strategies observation, communication, road position, priorities - permeate most outcomes at Level 2. These form the focus of the questions in the on-screen quiz and practical assessment described in sections 2.3 and 2.4 respectively. (Author/publisher)
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