60th Traffic Judgment Day
Traffic experts call for more space for bicycles
Cyclists on a bike path in Laatzen. photo
© Demy Becker/dpa
The bike is considered an important means of transport for the traffic turnaround. Cities are gradually trying to adapt their infrastructure accordingly. How should that ideally look like?
More space for cyclists has long been the demand of many experts with regard to road safety. “In the future, cars will have to give up lanes to make room for cyclists, whose paths would otherwise be too narrow and unsafe,” says Siegfried Brockmann, head of accident research at the German Insurance Association. From Wednesday on, experts like him will be discussing exactly how this can work at the Traffic Court Day in Goslar.
Car traffic takes up too much space, agrees Jana Kühl. She is a professor for bicycle traffic management at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Salzgitter. Higher standards are needed for cycle paths in order to meet the increasing number of cyclists and the requirements of cargo bikes and pedelecs. Among other things, structural separation between different road users is needed wherever possible.
Dutch, but also some German cities such as Bremen, Hanover, Karlsruhe and Freiburg are positive examples. The scientist emphasized that cycling is a basic building block in the traffic turnaround towards more climate protection and more livable cities.
Pop-up bike lanes are not the solution to all problems
Accident researcher Brockmann assumes an increase in bicycle traffic. In the future, motorists will therefore have to be prepared for the fact that cyclists will be given preference more frequently, for example at traffic lights on an important cycle path. In order to ensure more safety for cyclists, however, one should not become rigid about certain recipes. For example, the currently frequently discussed so-called pop-up cycle paths, i.e. bicycle lanes separated by color and bollards, are not the solution to all problems. Accident hotspots such as intersections, exits or cars parked at the side of the road would not be mitigated or only partially mitigated.
These and other topics will be discussed at the Traffic Court Day, which will take place in Goslar from Wednesday. The annual congress is one of the most important meetings of road safety experts in Germany. This year, experts from the judiciary, science, authorities and associations will be speaking in seven working groups on things including cannabis in road traffic, cycling safety and liability issues for e-scooters. Congress ends on Friday with recommendations to lawmakers.
Accident researcher Brockmann demands, among other things, better lines of sight in crossing areas. Parking spaces would have to be reduced and illegal parking penalized. In addition, municipalities would have to investigate and defuse known accident black spots more quickly. But it is also clear: “There can never be absolute security.”
According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, between 2000 and 2021 the number of cyclists involved in accidents increased by 15 percent. The main reasons are accidents involving people over the age of 65. Here the value rose by 91 percent, while it fell by 52 percent in people under 15 years of age.
“Discussion on cycling is urban”
Among other things, the European Automobile Club calls for a significant expansion of cycle highways and parking facilities for bicycles as well as permanent support for maintenance. In addition, funds for the expansion should be made available over the long term and at the same time be more flexible so that they do not expire. The German Lawyers Association wants to achieve more road safety for cyclists, among other things, through technical assistance systems. Stricter checks on cyclists are also conceivable and labeling of bicycles cannot be ruled out.
And there is another aspect to consider: “The discussion about cycling is urban. The rural regions must be taken into account more,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens). An employee from his ministry will take part in the debate on cycling safety in Goslar. Among other things, he calls for a reliable and safe cycle route network with safe crossings. Most recently, the proportion of bicycle traffic has increased, especially in the cities, because there was better and stronger support. But even in rural areas there is potential for more bicycle traffic, not least because of pedelecs.
Accident statistics also underscore the importance of greater promotion of cycle paths outside of large cities. “48 percent of all bicycle accidents take place outside of built-up areas,” says accident researcher Brockmann. The ADAC therefore advocates, for example, more cycle paths along main roads and an improvement in existing paths off the main roads. Professor Kühl, on the other hand, is in favor of more newly built, national cycle expressways. Paths along country and federal roads are very unattractive.