NZTA supports children cycling on footpaths

The Herald reports:

Allowing children up to the age of 12 to cycle on footpaths with an accompanying adult “has merit”, a new report by the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) has concluded.

Simon Kennett, NZTA senior project manager, said the report recommends children up to the age of 12 and an accompanying adult should be able to ride on the footpath.

Kennett said the NZTA believes children cycle at a lower speed than teenagers and adults, and are typically more obedient of the rules. Changing the law would also enable children to be educated about safe cycling on the footpath.

This seems very sensible to me. You really don’t want young kids on the road and allowing them to use footpaths allows them to build up their bike skills and confidence.

Cycling rates in New Zealand have plummeted from around 12 per cent for primary school students in the 1980s to 2 per cent in 2014, partly because of busier roads and safety concerns.

Would be good to reverse that.