Last year, 44 people were killed in accidents involving cyclists, another 373 suffered heavy injuries and 3,050 light injuries, with 25 people killed, 214 injured heavily and 1,939 lightly.
Bikers alone killed 44, another 353 were injured heavily and 2,945 lightly. Most cyclists died in the South Bohemian Region (6), followed by Jihomoravský, Moravskoslezský, Olomoucký and Pardubický (same after 5). On the contrary, no cyclist has lost his life in the Highlands. Since the establishment of the independent Czech Republic, the year 1993 was the most tragic year for cyclists, when 146 were killed in the crash, while 3916 were the most favorable in 2016. For the long term, every 11th victim of traffic accidents was a cyclist, similarly to last year. It is good to add that in the year 2017, a total of 37 cyclists died without a helmet, on the contrary, only 7 with a helmet.
4 out of 10 dead cyclists were seniors
A major problem is the fatal accident of older cyclists. Of the total of 44 dead cyclists, 31 (ie 70 percent) were 55 years of age or older, of which senior citizens (65+) were 17, or 39 percent. "The data published by the European Commission show that the greatest danger to older cyclists is at crossroads when they turn left or prefer to ride. Risks for many of them are also the control of the bicycle itself. Senior citizens are also above average in fatality statistics without the involvement of other road users. A big problem is the poor visibility of older cyclists because they enjoy the dark color of their clothes, " explains Roman Budsky of the Road Safety Team.
Cyclists and Alcohol - Dangerous Combination
In 2017, there were a total of 4,482 traffic accidents involving alcohol or drugs. Of these, 642 (ie every seventh) were bikers. Overall, 52 people died in alcohol and drug-related accidents and 214 were seriously injured. By the instigated cyclists five of them, another 57 seriously wounded (of which one blamed the cyclist). "Cyclists last year caused 2 393 accidents, of which 642 were under the influence of alcohol or other addictive substances. This is 27 percent of all accidents caused by them. This is the most sovereign of all groups of road users. Those statistics should be taken into account by all those who are considering driving a bicycle after drinking alcohol, "concludes Roman Budsky.
Source: tz TSB