Prague: Cyclists are increasing, but so are the number of accidents and thefts
“Optimal, the city should be built in such a way that one can vote any mode of transportation he wants and did not have to choose the least horrible one,” I’m thinking of Lucie from the Girls on Bike project. It was started by Jana Trávníčková, who, after returning from the Netherlands to Prague, discovered that there were few women cycling here. She gradually created a whole community, which Lucka also joined.
Better with a helmet
The goal of the project is to organize rides together, which, thanks to great interest, have spread beyond Prague. At the same time, girls on bikes want to teach newcomers how to ride safely around the city. As for the helmet, Lucka recommends it mainly because of the self- but at the same time he adds that it is not the standard abroad.
However, according to the statistics available to the association, more than 30 cyclists died in accidents last year, and another 162 were seriously injured. “At the same time, cyclists don’t realize that a bicycle accident at a speed of 25 km/h can be compared to a fall from a height of 2.5 meters directly on the head,” presented by the Rescue Circle association. This is a non-profit association of rescue, educational and other entities that deal with education, prevention and preparation in the areas of risks and extraordinary events and security.
Even cyclists make mistakes
Between the most common causes of accidents with the death of cyclists incorrect driving style (37.5 percent), followed by excessive speed (28 percent) and failure to give way (19 percent). In 17 percent of the accidents, a blood alcohol level of more than one per million was detected. However, the number of cyclists is constantly growing, both in cities and outside them. This is also helped by the boom in e-bikes. However, as the number of cyclists increases, so does the rate of theft.
Free bike?
According to new statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, bicycles have been stolen from Prague residents in recent years worth more than 147 million crowns. Theft clearance is only 5.9% in 3.5 years and the recovery of seized values is a sad 0.7%.
They could help tracking prints and chips, which would be linked to Interpol and Europol. “When an offender steals my bike, they remove all creation identifiers,” explains Romana Klimešová, CEO of DATATAG, which provides such chips.
If there is no manufacturer identifier on the bike, the bike cannot be identified with the owner. “However, when our system is there, which not visible at first glance, we are able to identify the bike. It proves to a person a makes the work of politics easier“, adds Klimešová.
Codes in action
In practice, the system works by applying a special template with a unique code to all the painted components of the wheel, through which a UV substance, visible only thanks to a UV lamp, penetrates the wheel. Where UV fluid cannot be used, microdots are used. “The police recognize the bike, the owner proves himself and the insurance company knows who the machine belongs to. And when selling, I can prove that there are still original parts. It’s mine, even if I lose the documents,” adds Romana Klimešová.
Two thieves stole six bicycles from a bike shop in Prague 4 on the night of January 24, 2022. Police of the Czech Republic
How tracking prints and microchips are installed.
Author: Jan Dařílek