Serious accident on the district road: cyclists thrown in Graben!

Serious accident on the district road: cyclists thrown in Graben!

A serious traffic accident on the district road between Pappenheim and Langenaltheim caused a stir. A 24-year-old cyclist who was traveling with his Pedelec wanted to turn left towards Übermatzhofen when he collided with a 77-year-old driver. The impact was so violent that the cyclist was thrown into a ditch several meters and suffered considerable injuries. After the first aid on site, the young man was immediately taken to the hospital. The total damage to the vehicles is estimated at around 5,000 euros. The police are currently examining the exact course of the accident and asks all uninvolved witnesses to report to bring light into the dark. According to [Infranken] (https://amp.infranken.de/lk/weissenburg-gunzenhausen/blaulicht/verkehrsunfall-kreisstrasse-pappenheim-langenheim-radfahrer-Pedelec-Auto-Auto-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART-ART.

What does the statistics say? The numbers speak a clear language: In 2024, 441 cyclists died in traffic accidents in Germany, a slight decline compared to the 446 deaths in the previous year. Nevertheless, the number of fatally crashed cyclists remains at a worrying level. It is particularly alarming that almost two thirds (63.5 %) of the cyclists concerned were 65 or older, while 68.8 % of the Pedelec users killed also fall in this age group. The pedelec boom could play a crucial role in these accidents, since the number of pedelec-denied persons rises sharply, as autogazette reports.

The development of accidents

A look at the developments in recent years shows that in 2023 almost a third (30.1 %) of the Pedelec denounced were under 45 years old, while this proportion was only 11 % in 2014. At the same time, the proportion of older pedelec drivers who have an accident has dropped from 54.5 % to 30.1 %. It is a remarkable turn that shows that younger people are increasingly traveling with pedelecs. In the same period, the number of pedelec accidents with personal injury from 2,200 in 2014 to a whopping 23,900 in 2023

For older people traveling with pedelecs, the risk of serious injuries in the event of falls is significantly higher. In the case of accidents with pedelecs, an average of 7.9 drivers died 1,000 accidents in 2023, while it was only 3.6 in classic bicycles. These figures show that good awareness of safety precautions and driving behavior is necessary to minimize the risk, which also underlines Destatis.

The tragic incident today is an impressive reminder for all road users. Responsible handling of road traffic can prevent many of these unfortunately frequent accidents. Consulting the traffic rules and a constant view of the traffic situation are essential for security, especially for weaker road users like cyclists.