Skip to main content

Poor quality cycle lanes cause most accidents in Sweden

Poor quality of cycle lanes are the most likely cause of bicycle accidents in Sweden, a report by insurance company Folksam claims. Some 70 per cent of all bicycle accidents which cause serious injuries involved only the cyclist and were caused by poor maintenance of the lanes, gravel or snow. Around 20 per cent of the accidents involved a car or other four-wheeled vehicles, while 10 per cent involved a moped, another bicycle or a pedestrian.
May 4, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Poor quality of cycle lanes are the most likely cause of bicycle accidents in Sweden, a report by insurance company 5440 Folksam claims. Some 70 per cent of all bicycle accidents which cause serious injuries involved only the cyclist and were caused by poor maintenance of the lanes, gravel or snow. Around 20 per cent of the accidents involved a car or other four-wheeled vehicles, while 10 per cent involved a moped, another bicycle or a pedestrian.

Maria Krafft, manager for Folksam's traffic research, said that municipalities would have to establish a strategy to improve the traffic safety for cyclists in the same way as for cars.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Making the most of Michigan
    January 9, 2018
    Michigan DoT’s Kirk Steudle takes time out from the ITS World Congress in Montreal to talk to Colin Sowman. Thirty years ago, a professional engineer named Kirk Steudle joined Michigan Department of Transportation (MDoT). Today he’s the state transportation director, responsible for more than 16,000km (10,000 miles) of state highways (including 4,000 bridges), some 2,500 employees and a budget of more than $4 billion. We caught up with Steudle during the ITS World Congress in Montreal and asked how he
  • India's terrifying road fatality rate
    May 21, 2012
    The fatality rate from road accidents in India continues to be of major concern to the country’s Government, highway authorities and safety campaigners. A report from India’s National Crime Records Bureau has highlighted the scale of the problem. Called “Accidental Deaths in India", this official report reveals that reported road accidents caused on average 56 injuries/hour and 14 deaths/hour during 2009. The fatal accident rate also increased from the previous year according to the report, which says that
  • Enforcement suppliers highlight industry best practice
    March 15, 2012
    Major suppliers of enforcement technology highlight the countries, regions or cities that they consider to be leading the way in reduction of road traffic violations. The French government’s ambitious programme of enforcing traffic law violations has proven to be an unrivalled success and is continuing to bring improvements in road safety with innovative enforcement technology.
  • Orthopaedic surgeons launch campaign against distracted driving
    May 21, 2012
    The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) have announced their members' commitment to end the distracted driving problem in America. This national initiative, made possible, in part, with support from the Auto Alliance, encourages drivers to 'decide to drive' and includes a new multimedia public service advertising (PSA) campaign, interactive Web site, school curriculum, print public service poster contest and materials to help surgeons talk to all thei