Title:

Improving Cycling Safety for Children and Youth
URL: https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/cycling-safety
Summary:

Cycling infrastructure is a key determinant of cycling safety. investing in cycling infrastructure is cost-effective, with public health benefits that consistently outweigh the rising costs of building infrastructure.

Highlights: This statement reviews the evidence supporting safer cycling infrastructure for children and youth along with the physical and mental health benefits of cycling. The advantages of active transportation for young people, and how the built environment influences their cycling safety and uptake, are discussed. An overview of measures individuals can take to improve cycling safety is followed by recommendations for clinicians, the cycling community, parents, and policy-makers. The statement highlights that:
  • Recent studies conducted both in Canada and elsewhere have shown that pedestrian and cyclist safety are closely related to the built environment.
  • Recent economic analyses have confirmed that investing in cycling infrastructure is cost-effective, with public health benefits that consistently outweigh the rising costs of building infrastructure.

Published in August 2025
Topics: Safety: Road Safety
Resource Type: strategies and interventions
Publisher: Canadian Paediatric Society
Date Last Updated: 2025-10-17 16:09

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