Families pedal for safer cycling in Bristol
Kidical Mass brings a serious message to city streets
Kidical Mass, a lively and family-friendly cycling event, seeks to highlight an important issue: Imagine a city where children can safely navigate Bristol by bike, heading to school, clubs, friends' homes, and parks independently.
For a brief time, children and their families will commandeer the streets, advocating for a city that emphasises their independence, freedom, and safety.
Alice Ferguson, co-organiser of Bristol Kidical Mass and co-founder of Playing Out, explains that the event is empowering, offering a rare chance for families to ride safely through the city centre:
"It's a really fun, empowering event, I would say, for children especially, but also for parents who kind of rarely get the chance to cycle in their city centre and feel safe and feel like they belong there."
Past gatherings have seen around 200 participants, and organisers are hopeful for even more at future events. Ferguson underscores the significance of allowing children to roam their city securely, promoting a healthy lifestyle through daily exercise and fostering a sense of belonging.
The event's underlying message pivots on the need for increased safety and the freedom for children to explore their surroundings. As Alice Ferguson notes, the prime concern in terms of safety is traffic—a common worry among parents considering whether their children can cycle alone. Ferguson herself, a cyclist, acknowledges the potential dangers and emphasises that changes are needed to ensure safer streets:
"You know, I'm a cyclist, and even as an adult, it often doesn't feel very safe. People don't always drive in the most considerate, safe way. Even though the city is like largely 20 miles an hour now, you know, you often get close passed by drivers, just, you know, being frustrated and thinking, well, there's a cyclist in front of me, so I've got to nip around them. So as a child, imagine how that feels."
Kidical Mass calls for policymakers, including local councils and regional authorities, to champion enhanced cycling infrastructure and to prioritise children's rights to navigate their city safely. Ferguson's vision for Bristol includes all streets being limited to 20 miles per hour and a cultural shift towards prioritising child safety:
"I think that could be a policy across the board... thinking through the eyes of an 8, 9, 10-year-old child who is trying to get around independently. And that would just mean that streets are made better for everybody."
This movement isn't just about children—improving streets to accommodate them also benefits everyone, creating spaces that are safer, quieter, and more enjoyable for all. Ferguson advocates for adults to assume greater responsibility in ensuring road safety, enabling children to explore comfortably:
"We've got to reverse the responsibility and put it on to adults basically... adults who have a responsibility to keep our streets safe and enforce the law, they are the ones that should be making this better for children."
Readers interested in supporting the movement can follow Kidical Mass on their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KidicalMass