77-year-old cyclist seriously injured when attacking in Harburg!

77-year-old cyclist seriously injured when attacking in Harburg!

A shocking incident occurred last evening in the Donau-Ries district when a 77-year-old cyclist was seriously injured at Harburg. The pensioner was on a dirt road between Schaffhausen and Harburg with an electric bike when a 53-year-old pedestrian came towards him. Just when the two passed people wanted to pass each other, the pedestrian suddenly reached for the cyclist's arm. This led to the 77-year-old lost and fell his control over his pedelec, whereupon he briefly lost consciousness. The cyclist was brought to a clinic with serious injuries. Fortunately, he had a bicycle helmet that saved him from even serious head injuries. The pedestrian also fell and suffered slightly injuries. The police are currently investigating him about suspicion of dangerous intervention in road traffic, assault and property damage. According to antenne.de this incident occurred in an environment that is often used for cyclists.

Such accidents also skill lightly on the dangers in the coexistence of cyclists and pedestrians. According to an analysis, there were over 711 seriously injured in Germany last year and 13 fatal accidents between the two groups. As n-tv.de , most of these accidents have occurred on bike paths, often also in pedestrian zones, as well as on common areas. The situation proves to be particularly problematic when pedestrians unexpectedly step on cycling areas or do not pay sufficient attention to their surroundings.

The legal situation

The legal framework is clear: Cyclists must observe constant caution and mutual consideration in accordance with § 1 StVO. Pedestrians have priority in factual pedestrian zones. The legal consequences of such accidents can also be serious. An example from the past shows how cyclists can adhere to damage if they act negligently. A cyclist was charged with assault after injuring a pedestrian on the sidewalk, which led to a claim for damages of 20,000 euros. The case makes it clear that driving on sidewalks for adults is considered grossly traffic -contrary to traffic, unless there is an explicit approval. This was reported ra-amimi.de .

The discussion about the optimal transport infrastructure is also underway. Traffic specialists and organizations such as the ADFC require protected cycle paths to increase the security of both groups and avoid collisions. Another topic is that many accidents are caused by pedestrians who enter the cycle paths without looking around. In order to avoid such accidents, it depends on better sensitization and infrastructure. So there is a need for action to improve the coexistence of cyclists and pedestrians.