More safety for cyclists in Zurich
Zurich is to become a bicycle city. To achieve this, the city council is improving bicycle safety.
Cycling in urban areas is demanding and sometimes dangerous. The city of Zurich is therefore constantly working to improve the situation. With the Velostrategie 2030, it is also pursuing the conversion to a Velostadt at the infrastructure level. The participating departments of the city of Zurich are obliged to implement the planned measures in a coordinated manner.
Inattention and distraction are the main causes of accidents
Mutual consideration of all road users, a positive cycling culture and increased attention contribute to more safety on the road. The number of cyclists involved in accidents has been high for several years. For the year 2021, the traffic accident statistics recorded 368 injured cyclists in the city of Zurich.
In addition, 122 people were involved in an accident with an e-bike. The traffic accident statistics for Zurich show: Insufficient concentration on other road users or on one’s own vehicle is the most common cause of bicycle accidents with personal injury. In 2021, the main causes of accidents involving bicycles and e-bikes were carelessness and distraction in 119 cases, the result of crossing tracks in 49 cases and alcohol in 46 cases.
Those affected make a suggestion for safe cycling
The Zurich City Police Department’s “Safe Cycling” cycling campaign starts with these points. The prevention messages come from people who have had an accident: they tell their accident story and show how the accident could be prevented. For example, the story of Fawzy, whose emergency braking on the bike led to a somersault.
With his tip «Do it better than me. Don’t let yourself be surprised, keep an eye on the road », the victim wants to protect others from the same fate. The prevention campaign will start as part of the event “Zurich rolls safe – days of action for you and your bike”, which will take place from 14 to 19 June 2022 on Hechtplatz.
The responsible city police in Zurich advise visitors on site on all aspects of driving safety. For example, interested parties can use a bicycle simulator to test what effects unexpected concentration can have, experience the “blind spot” of a truck with virtual reality glasses or find out about bicycle-specific traffic rules. The prevention campaign is scheduled to last until October 31, 2022.