By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter
Korea is becoming a bicycle nation with people from all walks of life, from the President to toddlers, enjoying riding them for a variety of reasons from maintaining health and conserving energy to simply having fun.
Bicycles are gaining popularity among people who are conscious of health and want to contribute to fighting climate change by reducing carbon footprint. But an increasing number of thefts and lack of storages are key problems to riding lovers. / Korea Times
This cycling boom, however, has two problems ― bicycle theft and young riders' failure to wear protective gear ― according to recent surveys.
The Road Traffic Authority, the government-affiliated agency responsible for traffic safety and related research, asked 1,300 middle and high school students about their safety awareness when cycling. The results were astounding.
About 85 percent of the students had ridden bicycles with 95.3 percent saying they didn't wear any protective gear.
Half of them usually ride in their neighborhoods or parks. But about 34 percent cycle on pedestrian or vehicular roads, running the risk of being involved in accidents with an added chance of serious injury due to their disregard for protective gear such as helmets.
Only 7.4 percent said that they rode on bicycle paths, while 2.8 percent said they rode on school grounds.
The respondents were also aware that it was cycling "dangerous" as about two thirds claimed there were not enough safe places to ride, with more than half think riding was "dangerous or very dangerous."
About one third said that they had never received safety education, and wouldn't even if it was provided.
According to the authority's researcher Myong Myo-hee, youths have little notion about how and where to safely ride bicycles, despite a riding boom.
"In Europe and the United States, safety education is readily available and often riders are exposed to safety tips one way or another," Myong said during a seminar last week. "Considering a fast-growing number of riders, it is necessary to include safety education in school curricula."
Meanwhile, bicycle thieves are another problem that stand in the way of a sustained riding boom.
According to the Seoul Development Institute, the city-affiliated research arm, more than half of bicycle users of all ages have had their two-wheelers stolen. The survey asked 1,026 residents about bicycle riding life in the city.
About 38 percent have had their bicycle stolen once, 34 percent twice and 28 percent three times or more.
foolsdie@koreatimes.co.kr
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