Natural England

Quiet Lanes are minor rural roads which are appropriate for shared use by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and motorised users. These roads should already have low levels of traffic travelling at low speeds.

• 16% of households are non-car owning and 20% of adults do not have a full driving licence in rural areas. These people who do not have access to a car can suffer real hardship from their lack of mobility due to the scarcity and dispersed nature of rural services and facilites 
• 65% of users feel threatened by traffic "all or some of the time"
• 91% think that the speed limit should be reduced
• 3.1 million people cycle every week
• of our population of 60 million, around 5 million occasionally or frequently walk cross-country for pleasure. 

Sources:
CPRE "Rural Traffic Fear Survey" 1999 
Transport Stratistics Great Britain
Rural Routes & Network - ICE & Countryside Agency 2002

The aim of Quiet Lanes is to make some minor rural roads more attractive for those who wish to walk, cycle and horse ride along them, for business or pleasure. The original objectives identified for the Quiet Lanes work were:

• to provide networks of routes which cater for shared use by drivers, walkers, cyclists and horse riders
• to link rights of way networks, open spaces, places of interest environmental protection / enhancement of country lanes 
• to show potential for partnership working involving the public 
• develop technical solutions to encourage motorised traffic to slow down and which are in keeping with the local area 
• development of Quiet Lane networks that are backed by a strategic approach to traffic demand management over a wider, well defined area