Only a quarter say they feel safe on Leeds’ roads

By David Spereall, local democracy reporter

Only a quarter of people say they feel safe using Leeds’ roads, with those who walk or cycle more likely to feel in danger.

A survey carried out by the city’s Safer Roads Partnership drew responses from more than 900 people, including pedestrians, drivers, bus passengers and cyclists.

Results showed just under 20 per cent felt ‘safe’ using Leeds’ roads, while just over six per cent declared they felt ‘very safe’.

A third of the respondents said they felt ‘neutral’, while more than a fifth didn’t answer the question, despite responding to the rest of the survey.

A total of 15 per cent felt ‘unsafe’, while a further 4.4 per cent declared they felt ‘very unsafe’.

Analysis of the results by the Safer Roads Partnership said that responses varied “Depending on their mode of travel – they feel safe when they’re driving, less so when on a bike, for example.

They added: “Location was mentioned as a factor, with some roads feeling safer than others.”

Among the replies, one said: “I feel very safe when I’m in my car; very unsafe when I’m cycling or walking, especially outside the city centre.

Another said: “I feel mostly safe as a car user, but far less so as a pedestrian. Also, there is a difference between where I live and where I work, one is
more rural, the other urban.”

Almost all of the respondents live in Leeds, although some come from elsewhere in West Yorkshire.

City bosses declared earlier this year that they want to eradicate all fatal accidents on Leeds’ roads by 2040. The results of the survey, which was carried out as part of a public consultation, will go before senior councillors next week.

62 per cent of people said they supported the council’s plan to achieve zero accidents, although some suggested it was “unrealistic” and “unachievable”.

The Safer Roads Partnership is made up of a coalition of council officers, partner agencies and road safety experts.