Women in Yorkshire avoid walking due to safety concerns

This is according to new figures over the last 12 months and a nationwide programme of street safety improvements.

The research, released by Active Travel England (ATE), shows that 59 per cent of women in Yorkshire and the Humber have chosen other forms of transport—such as taxis or buses—instead of walking due to concerns about personal safety.

Lilian Greenwood, local transport minister, said: "No one should worry about getting to their destination safely after dark, and these stats show just how much work there is to be done.

"This programme is turning conversations into real change by working directly with the councils who design our streets to ensure women and girls in our communities feel safe to walk, wheel and cycle whenever they want to."

The new figures also reveal that nearly nine in 10 women nationally have felt unsafe walking at night, and 71 per cent have changed their routes during the darker months to avoid walking in the dark during winter or darker months.

Common concerns raised include poor lighting, deteriorating pathways, and the threat of anti-social behaviour.

Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said: "Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and this government will halve it in a decade.

"Women and girls deserve to feel safe simply going about their lives, whether that is walking down the street, travelling, or using public spaces after dark."

In response, the Government plans to publish new guidance in 2026 for local authorities to improve street design with women's and girls' safety in mind.

Practical training sessions for councils will begin this spring.

The guidance will focus on measures such as better street lighting, clear walking routes, and greater use of CCTV.

Catherine Woodhead, chief executive of Living Streets, said: "The safety of women and girls on our streets must not be ignored in our community and transport planning and policy.

"When it is, it leads to women and girls missing out on everything from education and exercise to leisure and accessing work.

"Living Streets wants neighbourhoods where every woman and girl can walk or wheel wherever they want, whenever they want – free from harassment, fear and exclusion."

ATE said funding for these improvements can be drawn from its £626 million active travel budget, announced last year.