In this article safety level of cyclists has been discussed using Mashhad police reported accidents data and also an examination about perceived risk and reasons for not using bicycle as a trip mode through a census has been presented. we asked people if they own a car/cycle and if they use a bicycle as a routine for everyday life tasks. 428 persons answered all the questions and survey results revealed that while 76% of interviewees own a bicycle but only 56% of them use it as a routine. Surprisingly among those cycle very often, only 15% use it as an urban transport mode and mainly use it for sport or recreational reasons.

We used a jump-logic questionnaire and asked those who don’t use a bicycle: ‘What are the top reasons?’

They declared ‘Safety issues on streets without dedicated bike lanes’, ‘Lack of cycle racks and security issues’ and ‘Society norms and religious reasons’ as top 3 reasons for not using a bike for daily tasks. Bicycle price and street slopes were also among other reasons stated by interviewees.

Blocked bike routes by cars, lack of cycle lockers/racks and unacceptable quality of cycle routes pavements were among other barriers told by interviewees.

Running cycling campaigns, provide incentive for those who use bicycle regularly, build connected bicycle routes and contribution of cycling NGOs in city project decision making process are among activities that will promote safe cycling in cities like Mashhad.