Proportion of road deaths involving bicycles has risen
More and more people are cycling in many regions, but climate-friendly transportation comes at a price: while the number of road traffic deaths per 1,000 people fell by 16 percent between 2010 and 2021, the proportion of cyclists among global road deaths rose from five to six percent, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in Geneva on Wednesday.
Every day, around 3,200 people are killed in road traffic worldwide. According to estimates, 1.19 million people died in 2021. Road accidents are the most common cause of death among children and young people up to the age of 29, said Etienne Krug, Director of the responsible WHO department in Geneva. 30 percent of the fatalities were car occupants, 70 percent pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders and other road users.
Only 0.2 percent of roads worldwide have dedicated lanes for bicycles. The WHO, which promotes healthy transportation such as walking or cycling, appealed to governments and authorities to ensure safe cycle paths. Denmark and the Netherlands are exemplary countries, said Krug. There, cycling is made safe with paths that separate cyclists from road traffic. Speed limits are important to protect cyclists and other road users. Cyclists themselves should wear helmets, said Krug. They should ride carefully and make themselves clearly visible with lights on their bikes and suitable clothing.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
- Numerous oil, gas and coal lobbyists at climate conference
Despite the increase in bike usage, traffic fatalities involving cyclists have significantly increased, accounting for six percent of global road deaths in 2021, as reported by the WHO. To reduce this statistic, it's crucial to enhance infrastructure, such as dedicating lanes for bikes, as seen in Denmark and the Netherlands, which can help lower traffic fatalities associated with sharing the road with other vehicles.
Source: www.ntv.de
