Senior citizens at risk

Number of fatal cycling accidents has fallen sharply

Fatal cycling accidents in Austria fell by a quarter to 32 last year.

(Bild: APA/WWW.FOTOPLUTSCH.AT)

The VCÖ reports that the number of fatal cycling accidents on the roads in Austria fell by ten to 32 last year. More than half of the victims were senior citizens.

A detailed analysis by the VCÖ in the period 2021 to 2023 shows that only two of the 136 fatal cycling accidents occurred on structurally separated cycle paths - hence the call for more cycle paths to be built.

In these three years, 110 people, or 81 percent, did not have an accident on a cycle path, but on the general road. This proportion was particularly high outside the local area at 92 percent. Two thirds of the fatal cycling accidents outside the local area occurred on roads with a speed limit of 100. 

Especially where there are settlements, it should not only be possible to reach the nearest town via an open road, but also via a safe cycle path.

VCÖ-Expertin Katharina Jaschinsky.

More consideration required for older road users
Austria has a lot of catching up to do, especially when it comes to cycling infrastructure. Cycle paths that are too narrow or a complete lack of cycle paths on roads where speeds of more than 30 kilometers per hour are permitted are a major safety risk, wrote the VCÖ. Once again, it also shows that the traffic system needs to take more account of older people. According to the report, 17 of the 32 fatalities in the previous year were older than 65, and ten fatalities were older than 75.

Together with the population, the VCÖ would now like to identify problem areas for cycling. Dangerous sections can be entered on an online map. The mobility organization collects the entries and forwards them to the responsible city, municipality or province.