– It is a bit uncomfortable to cycle among cars. I just started cycling, so I’m not that used to dealing with traffic. 18-year-old Eiel Gjerstad has stopped his bicycle at the crosswalk on Florida in Bergen. Buses, light rail and passenger cars drive past him. The school pupil thinks carefully when he is asked about the statistics for cyclists. Figures from the National Roads Administration show that it has become more dangerous to be a cyclist in the largest cities in Norway in recent decades. In the nine metropolitan areas in the country, there were 38 per cent more cyclists killed and seriously injured in the period 2018-2021 than in the period 2004-2007. – That makes sense. If you crash on a bicycle, it’s “finito”, says Gjerstad. CYCLING TO SCHOOL: Eiel Gjerstad has just started cycling to and from school. Photo: Synne Sørenes CYCLING TO SCHOOL: Eiel Gjerstad has just started cycling to and from school. Photo: Synne Sørenes National Road Administration: Must focus more on cyclists – The accident picture in the largest cities has changed significantly in relatively few years, says Sigurd Løvset in the National Road Administration. He has helped write a report delivered to the Ministry of Transport and Communications on 1 June this year. There, the National Road Administration recommends the authorities to focus more on the safety of cyclists in Norwegian cities. Among other things, they highlight the difference between motorists and cyclists in traffic: From the period 2004-2007 to 2018-2021, the number of motorists killed and seriously injured has decreased by 62 per cent. In the same period, the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured increased by 38 per cent. Guro Ranes in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration explains that they use the average number of people killed and seriously injured over four years, to smooth out random variations from year to year, such as a lot of rain or snow. – The period 2004-2007 is somewhat backward in time and is considered representative when we compare it to an earlier period, says Ranes. The graph below shows how the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured in the nine largest urban areas in Norway has changed over the past 19 years. More cyclists – more accidents Sigurd Løvset underlines that the figures are based on police-reported accidents and that it is most likely that far more people are injured on bicycles than the statistics show. – We say that it is 10 times as dangerous to be a cyclist as a motorist, but the figure is probably much higher. There is a lot of under-reporting when it comes to accidents on bicycles, says Løvset. Løvset believes that the number has increased in part because there are far more people cycling now than before. – But while it has become safer and safer to be a motorist, I have not seen the same development for cyclists and pedestrians. I think there should be more focus on that, he says. In 2004, there were seven times more motorists killed and seriously injured than cyclists in the largest cities. In 2021, the same number of people were injured on bicycles as in cars, according to the National Road Administration’s accident statistics. Photo: Synne Sørenes / news Wishes for a continuous cycle path – These are just sad figures, says secretary general of the National Association of Cyclists, Eline Oftedal. She says many people stop cycling because they are afraid of injuring themselves. – The biggest obstacle for people who want to cycle, but don’t, is that it doesn’t feel safe, she explains. They carry out research on the topic every quarter of the year. Oftedal believes that the construction of own cycle paths is the most important measure to reduce the risk of cycling. – The fact that one has to enter and exit an area with a cycle path is perceived as unsafe. Many of the accidents also occur at intersections where cyclists meet motorists. She thinks the politicians should work harder to ensure that the cycle paths they build are actually connected from A to Z. – A brag about the number of kilometers of cycle paths that have been built, but does not talk about how many of these are actually connected. You don’t build a motorway like this, then you shouldn’t build a cycle path like this, either. Slower speed for motorists In the report, the National Road Administration recommends, among other things, to keep a better eye on the statistics related to bicycle injuries. They also recommend lower speeds for motorists in urban areas and to establish other rules for larger vehicles, such as lorries. Eiel Gjerstad in Bergen is most concerned about colliding with other, large cars. – It is a bit uncomfortable when you have to cross the road. You have to follow along all the time. One cannot lose focus. Even though he has only been cycling for the last week, he believes that he will continue, despite the somewhat dark statistics. – As long as the weather is nice, I will take the bike.
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The accident rate has decreased for everyone in traffic except cyclists – news Vestland
