why so many bicycle deaths on country roads?

Sudden shocks, dangerous overtaking and often perilous sharing of the road. Outside built-up areas, bicycles are more exposed to dangers. On these roads, on average, three cyclists a day are seriously injured. In the countryside, bikes sometimes have trouble feeling safe, especially because of the lack of a cycle path.

Few bike lanes separated from cars

Bicycle accidents outside urban areas caused 137 deaths last year, an increase of 47% compared to 2019. How can such an increase be explained? Two years ago, east of Montpellier (Hérault), Laura lost her father, an experienced cyclist who was unable to avoid the car that was driving on the cycle lane that day. On this road, the space dedicated to cyclists is separated from cars by a simple white strip on the ground, without a protective parapet, while motorists sometimes drive at more than 70 km/h. If in the city center of Montpellier, cycle paths separated from cars cover 21% of the roads, on the outskirts, this figure drops to 4%. The department recognizes a lack of facilities and has decided to undertake work.