Cycling is popular in the district.
Not a bad thing in and of itself.
But the trend also harbors risks - a look at the accident statistics shows.
District
- Anton Maier calls it his "aha experience": In mid-July, the district chairman of the ADFC Starnberg was on his bike on the old Olympic road from Wangen to Starnberg.
A relaxed way to get into the city without a car.
But not that day.
“The bike path was completely overcrowded,” says Maier.
“It felt like 1,000 bicycles.” It is normal that there is a little more on a sunny weekend day.
"But like this - I've never seen that before."
One thing is certain: the number of cyclists in the district has increased massively in the past month.
Last but not least, the corona pandemic and its contact restrictions have brought people back their love of cycling.
“Not a bad thing in and of itself,” says Oliver Jauch, traffic officer for the district police.
After all, such a development is desirable from an environmental point of view alone.
Number of accidents increased from 184 to 206
But the increased number of bicycles also harbors risks.
If you compare the accident statistics for the period from the start of the lockdown in March until today with the data for the same period from the previous year, the number of accidents involving a cyclist in the district has increased from 184 to 206.
An increase of around twelve percent, which is given additional weight due to a general decrease in traffic accidents from 2480 to 1928.
There are several reasons for this, for Policeman Jauch.
On the one hand, there are currently many cyclists on the streets who have rarely taken their bikes out of the basement in recent years.
“You just notice a lack of practice and the resulting uncertainty in dealing with the traffic regulations.” In this context, he sees the role of e-bikes as not exactly beneficial.
The motorized bicycles, which are especially popular with older people, are not manageable for everyone, given their speeds of up to 28 kilometers per hour.
"You have to be very vigilant, otherwise it will crash very quickly."
Again and again dangerous situations with pedestrians and drivers
It is important for Jauch to emphasize that this is not a criticism of the cyclists.
“These are all understandable things,” he says.
Much more annoying for him is another circumstance that, according to him, has crept in heavily in recent weeks: cycling on the sidewalks.
“That doesn't work at all,” says Jauch.
This repeatedly leads to dangerous situations with pedestrians or even with motorists who want to drive from their courtyard entrances onto the street.
Jauch and his police colleagues would like to check the sidewalks more intensively in the future.
"The cyclists should go where they belong: on the street."
Words that Anton Maier can understand.
“Anyone over ten years old has no business being on the sidewalk.” But in his opinion this is often a matter of pure self-protection.
"Many cyclists are afraid of the traffic." The ADFC district chairman is thinking above all of inconsiderately overtaking motorists.
“There is nothing to be seen from an overtaking distance of 1.50 meters.” Maier advocates more cycle paths and an infrastructure that adapts to the development along with the large number of e-bikes.
He emphasizes: "This is the only way we can ensure that everyone feels safe on the road - and the number of accidents is falling again."
