Cyclists are certainly not above the law on the roads. Now an investigation by the Accident Commission shows that they themselves are to blame for every third accident.
Cyclists themselves are to blame for every third accident that occurs at intersections. This is shown by a new analysis from the Accident Commission for Road Traffic Accidents, which investigated 27 serious cycling accidents in the period January to August 2023.
The analysis reveals that cyclists often do not comply with traffic rules, which contributes to the accidents.
When cyclists do not take responsibility, it is in most cases due to motorists who overlook them at the intersection.
According to the investigation, it was the driver's lack of attention that led to the accident in 24 out of the 27 cases. The chairman of the commission, Rikke Rysgaard, explains that busyness and excessive speed among motorists is a major cause.
– The cyclist was simply not seen at all because the motorist did not take enough time for the orientation. In several of the accidents, the driver was going a little too fast, she says.
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The accidents are particularly recorded in the larger cities such as Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense.
At Cyklistforbundet, national chairman Jens Peter Hansen points out that cyclists themselves also have a responsibility. He expresses concern that some choose to run red or yellow lights, even though it is clearly dangerous.
– I find it difficult to understand that it is some cyclists who want to expose themselves to the danger it is when you don't observe such clear traffic rules as a light signal, he says to Ritzau.
At the same time, he points out that the consequences can be serious, even though it is often the cyclist who gets hurt the worst.
– If it is a driver who does it, it can have far more serious consequences, because you are sitting in a car that weighs 1,500 kilos or more, adds the national chairman.
Half of the cyclists included in the survey were not wearing a bicycle helmet. In many cases this led to more serious head injuries, although none of the accidents were fatal.
The accident commission's analysis suggests that both cyclists and motorists must take greater responsibility in traffic. Compliance with traffic rules and better attention at intersections can, according to the survey, significantly reduce the risk of accidents.
