Yohann Tritz, edited by Laura Laplaud 07:04, February 02, 2023
Every day, Europe 1 looks at an idea or a problem in your daily life.
According to the latest road safety report, cyclists are victims of more and more accidents in France.
244 cyclists were killed in 2022, 30% more than in 2019. Accidents that often happen in cities where dangers are everywhere.
For the second year in a row, the number of cyclists killed has exceeded the threshold of 200 deaths: 244 were killed in 2022, up 30% compared to 2019, or 57 more deaths, Road Safety announced on Wednesday.
Europe 1 went to meet these city dwellers who take risks every day.
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"Danger can come from anywhere, it's hell"
"I have the helmet here, I have the elbow pads and I have the knee pads."
Maxime, seated on his electric bike, crosses the intersection with great caution, without risk and equipped from head to toe.
"At the start, I took a yellow vest. I almost took a car and suddenly, now, I try to have the maximum security", he explains at the microphone of Europe 1.
Other townspeople didn't even try to invest in equipment and decided to give up.
Philippe, 30, walks with his young son.
"I stopped the bike. It was too dangerous. Here, you turn your head to the right, there is a bus, to the left, there is a scooter, in front, a car. Danger can come from anywhere , it's hell," he said.
More and more French people go to work by bike despite the risks
Users also point to the facilities for cyclists in town, which are sometimes difficult to understand, as evidenced by Marion, bicycle in hand in a one-way street.
"I find that the facilities here in this street are very badly done. You can only come from the opposite direction of the cars. Suddenly, I have to get off the bike to be safe because if I ride, I'm afraid to get me crushed."
In town, collisions remain less serious than in the countryside.
Areas outside built-up areas concentrate 60% of fatal cycling accidents.