Cyclist seriously injured: fall on a sloping dirt road near Ottenbach

Cyclist seriously injured: fall on a sloping dirt road near Ottenbach

Last Saturday, June 22, 2025, a serious accident occurred in which a 45-year-old cyclist was seriously injured on a dirt road between Lenglingen in the Göppingen district and Schonterhöfen (Ottenbach). The man was driving on a sloping road when he was unable to avoid a branch lying across the road in time and fell. According to swp.de, the cyclist sustained significant injuries and was immediately taken to hospital. Details about the nature of the injuries are currently unknown.

This accident data highlights a number of worrying statistics regarding bicycle accidents on rural roads. In 2023, 189 cyclists in Germany lost their lives, while another 2,996 were seriously injured. These numbers correspond to around 42 percent of the killed and 21 percent of the seriously injured cyclists across Germany, as udv.de reports.

Road safety challenge

Insurers' accident research (UDV) has carried out a detailed study on the safety of cyclists on country roads in collaboration with the University of Wuppertal. The aim of this study was to analyze accidents between 2010 and 2020 and to identify traffic facilities that were prone to accidents. A shocking accident rate of around 68 percent for serious bicycle accidents was found, particularly at intersections such as intersections and junctions.

A key finding of the study is that fatal accidents are often caused by cyclists themselves, which in many cases is due to a lack of safety measures. The most common problems include a lack of cycle paths, obstructions to visibility and high speed limits at intersections that are prone to accidents. Particularly dangerous situations occur when turning or crossing, as has also been found.

Recommendations to improve security

To increase safety for cyclists, various measures have been recommended. This includes creating safe crossing options, removing obstructions to visibility and reducing the maximum permissible speed at intersections that are difficult to see. 32 percent of serious cycling accidents also occur on open routes, often in places where there are no cycle paths. Improving visibility and expanding existing cycle paths are considered essential.

In addition, raising awareness among road users through targeted campaigns is considered important. Promoting driving assistance systems in motor vehicles to avoid collisions with cyclists is also an essential point to improve safety on the roads. In view of the fact that older road users are disproportionately often seriously injured or even killed in accidents, driving training should also be given greater importance.