“Bicycles” in Alytus: attention to safety on bicycle paths is too little

In the warm season, the cycling season gains momentum – the streets are simultaneously flooded with cyclists, scooter riders, pedestrians and drivers of all ages. It is not surprising that when different road users collide on the road, unpleasant incidents also increase dramatically, unfortunately, painful accidents cannot be avoided every year. Experts emphasize that in order to be safe road users, you need to accumulate skills and knowledge from a young age. The series of educational events – “Bicycles” – will remind residents of cities in large countries about this for the second year.

May 9 “Dviratynyų” bicycle festival will start in Alytus, in Jaunimo Park. Lithuanian track cyclist, European track champion Vaida Bronickienė will give free bicycle lessons for children here.

In “Dviratynės”, the participants will not only receive free bicycle training for children, but also an introduction to the rules of KET, which will be presented by the Lithuanian Police, consultations by bicycle experts on choosing a bicycle, and wearing appropriate protective equipment. The event will feature performances by BMX Freestyle stars. The event starts at 18:30.

Cycling is one of the country’s priorities

The culture of cycling in Lithuania is getting stronger – the national cycling and pedestrian infrastructure map created by the Ministry of Transport and the Lithuanian Road Directorate and presented to the public foresees that by 2035 the network of pedestrians and cyclists will expand to 5 thousand. km

Systematic promotion and prioritization of bicycle transport yields results – a representative survey conducted by the company “Spinter tyrimi” commissioned by the Ministry of Transport showed that 6 out of 10 Lithuanians claim to have adopted this means of transport, every tenth resident of the country rides a bicycle at least several times a month, once a week and more often on one-fifth of the respondents ride a bicycle, of which 3% travels by bicycle every day.

Risk of accidents for those who do not know the rules

However, as the number of cyclists on the roads increases, the need for safety inevitably becomes more relevant. Research by the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (LTSA) shows that residents still lack knowledge. For example, every sixth scooterist does not consider himself a traffic participant, while 37% do. they do not know which vehicle category the scooter belongs to; a large part of them have not read the Road Traffic Rules (KET) for them at all and are guided by the instinct of self-preservation.

“It is necessary to know the rules of the road – take an interest yourself or visit the events and consult with the specialists participating in them – and follow them, learn to see the danger posed by road users who ignore the rules, and if you are sure of your own safety, avoid a traffic accident,” says the head of the Vilnius County Police Julia Samorokovskaya, Head of the Communications Sub-Department of the Commissariat.

According to Lithuanian police statistics, in 2023 2 bicycle drivers (one of whom is a minor) and 1 electric scooter driver were killed, 145 bicycle drivers (of whom 30 were minors) and 53 (of whom 14 were minors) electric scooter drivers were injured.

Will teach safe cycling

The purpose of “Dviratynyų” is to provide the public with the most necessary information about proper preparation for the cycling season in an attractive, interesting and one-stop place. “Dviratynes” is organized for the second year in a row by the Lithuanian Cycling Federation and the nut and dried fruit supplier “Arimex”. The partners of the event are the Lithuanian Police and the Lithuanian BMX Bicycle Association.

“It is really gratifying that the number of cyclists on the roads is increasing every year, but accidents are also increasing every time. Unfortunately, many road users do not follow the rules of safe driving or do not know them at all. We notice that there is still a lack not only of KET knowledge, but also of bicycle management skills, knowledge of proper protective equipment: what they should be and how to wear them. There are especially many challenges for parents whose children are just learning to ride a bicycle or scooter. We believe that preparing for the cycling season can be easy and at the same time interesting, when the most relevant information is concentrated and interesting in one place, there are plenty of fun activities for young cyclists and everyone can get to know and learn from the most professional cyclists in the country”, says Katažina Sosna, World MTB Marathon Cup prize winner, children’s bicycle coach, leading training for Vilnius children.

Calendar of events:

Alytus May 9, at the Alytus Jaunimo Park at 6:30 p.m.

Claipeats May 16 Sąjūdis concrete skate park (Laukininkų str. 26) at 6:30 p.m.

Šiauliai May 23 in the central park of Šiauliai city (skate plaza) at 6:30 p.m.

Puttingthe hedgehog May 30 Culture and recreation in the Skate Park at 6:30 p.m.

Kaunas June 13 Vienybės Square (K. Donelaičio St.) at 6:30 p.m.

Vilnius June 27 In Vingios Park near the stage at 6:30 p.m.