Racing cyclist in Kleve falls heavily: Focus on accidents without external influence

Racing cyclist in Kleve falls heavily: Focus on accidents without external influence

A serious accident with a racing cyclist from the Netherlands occurred on Sunday afternoon in Kleve. The incident in which the 46-year-old Dutch from Maashorst was seriously injured occurred at the roundabout at the roundabout on Königsallee, Kastanienweg and Schweizer Straße. The police announced this on Monday. The man who was at the end of a six -member group of cyclists and wore a bicycle helmet lost control of his racing bike and fell without external influence. He contracted serious injuries and had to be taken to a hospital for further treatment. On the racing bike, damage to property occurred slightly, which made the incident no less serious.

Sole accidents, such as that in Kleve, are an increasing problem in German road traffic. According to a study of accident research by insurers (UDV), sole accidents, i.e. accidents without the participation of other road users, have increased significantly in the past 15 years. It is particularly alarming that, according to the statistics from 2023, around 27,400 bike accidents were recorded without further participants, with around 6,400 people suffering serious injuries and 147 cyclists were fatal. These numbers give a worrying insight into the dangers that cyclists are exposed to.

The role of weather and infrastructure

The increasing number of single accidents is partly due to external factors such as weather and inadequate infrastructure. No other road users are involved in every third fatal wheel accident. Especially in winter, when the dangers of moisture, ice and snow increase, many cyclists have an accident. Most falls occur within this risk operation, since pedestrians and cyclists often have difficulty keeping control of their vehicles.

A defective infrastructure is considered by the police as the main cause of many sole accidents. Course edges and tram rails represent considerable risks, while bollards, masts and signs usually have less influence on the frequency of accident. The UDV therefore calls for measures to improve cycling infrastructure to reduce such accidents.

statistical developments in road traffic

In 2023 there were a total of 2.5 million traffic accidents in Germany, which corresponds to an increase of 4.7 % compared to the previous year. 94,050 wheel accidents were recorded with personal damage. This number has a decline of 3.8 % compared to 2022, but the safety of cyclists remains a central topic. The number of bicycle accidents is high; Many single accidents are not reported, which makes it difficult to get a precise picture of the situation. According to estimates, only about 1 % of self -accidents could appear in the official statistics.

Free access to bicycles has increased in Germany between 2010 and 2023, with the number of cyclists killed by 17.1 %, while the number of fatally crashed car inmates could be reduced by 35.2 %. The ADAC transport president Gerhard Hillebrand has asked the responsible bodies to invest more in the safety of cyclists in order to minimize this growing danger.