According to recent findings by Statec, accidents involving cyclists are on the rise in Luxembourg. In 2023, 38 cyclists were gravely injured in road accidents, and two accidents led to the deaths of two people. In 2022, 27 people sustained serious injuries and one death was reported. While there were no cycling deaths reported for 2021, 27 people suffered serious injuries while cycling.
In response to a recent parliamentary enquiry by the CSV seeking more details about the age of the injured cyclists and whether alcohol played a role in the accidents, Minister for Mobility, Yuriko Backes, shared that older cyclists are more likely to be the victims of serious accidents. Over the past three years, the majority of serious injuries or traffic fatalities occurred in the 45 to 54 age group, with a total of 21. In contrast, the figures for younger cyclists under 24 are significantly lower, while the numbers for those over 65 remain relatively high.
Nancy Kemp Arendt from the CSV also inquired whether the injured cyclists were wearing helmets. As Luxembourg does not require cyclists to wear helmets, Backes explained that the authorities were unable to confirm whether the victims were wearing protective gear. This information is neither systematically recorded by the police nor included in Statec’s statistics.
Unfortunately, as is the case too often for car accidents, alcohol also plays a role in accidents involving cyclists, particularly when they are serious or fatal. Over the past three years, alcohol was involved in three fatal accidents and 28 cases of serious injuries.
