Despite increasing mobility, the number of accidents in the district fell last year.
(mr.) Encouraged by the pandemic and growing environmental awareness, more and more people are getting on their bikes. And to extend the radius for tours, pedelecs, bicycles with electric motor support, are a good idea. Around 1.2 million of these bikes were sold last year, around 20 percent more than in 2020. But the increasing demand also has its downside. While the number of accidents in the district of Emmendingen fell for all modes of transport, it increased for pedelecs.
According to police statistics, 1,420 accidents were recorded in the district last year. Despite increasing mobility after 2020, that was a drop of 5.1 percent. This trend can be seen in accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles as well as in accidents involving pedestrians. 994 car accidents were registered compared to 1047 in 2020. Accidents involving trucks and motorcycles also declined. The drop in accidents involving pedestrians, which fell by around a third, is particularly striking.
Fewer accidents were also reported among cyclists. However, according to information from the police headquarters, it can be assumed that there is a higher number of unreported incidents in these categories. The number of accidents involving electrically powered pedelecs has increased. According to statistics, there were 42 reported accidents in this category last year, 16.7 percent more than in 2020 and a doubling of the average figures from 2017 to 2019.
The growing popularity of e-bikes contributes to this. According to police statistics, it is striking that the majority of reported pedelec accidents occur in urban areas, with the district towns of Emmendingen and Waldkirch being the focal points.
Contrary to the trend in the area of responsibility of the police headquarters (the city of Freiburg and the districts of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Emmendingen and Lrrach), which reported a 6.4 percent drop in the number of minor injuries and a 10 percent drop in the number of serious injuries, these numbers increased in the Emmendingen district. The number of accidents involving personal injury rose from 493 to 501 (plus 1.6 percent). 382 road users suffered minor injuries (up 1.6 percent) and 114 serious injuries (up 6.5 percent) in accidents. Deaths were reported for the county five (2020: ten).
Drugs were the decisive factor in two accidents, and in 62 cases the perpetrators were under the influence of alcohol. In addition, the police counted 605 hit and run accidents last year, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to 2020.
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