traffic
Time and again there are tricky situations between pedestrians and cyclists on Vienna’s Danube Island. Especially on weekends, thousands flock to the local recreation area. Important to know: The road traffic regulations apply and thus legal priority.
12.06.2021 00.00
Online since midnight today
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The traffic accident map of Statistics Austria shows 32 traffic accidents with personal injury for the year 2020. The vast majority (27) involved accidents between cyclists. Pedestrians were involved in five accidents. The Viennese police are currently not aware of any increase in the number of conflicts and the Mobility Agency of the City of Vienna has not received any inquiries from citizens.
Walking on the street
In general, the road traffic regulations (StVO) apply on the Danube Island. Motor vehicles are only not allowed because of a driving ban, but the “sidewalks” are actually normal streets, says ÖAMTC chief lawyer Martin Hoffer. This means that all the rules stipulated by the StVO also apply: cycling is only allowed on the right-hand side of the road. In addition, driving side by side is prohibited, unless it is a training ride with racing bikes. In addition, legal priority applies.
The traffic regulations also apply to pedestrians. You have to walk on the left or right outer edge of the road and are also not allowed to form “clusters”, as Hoffer explained. In addition, the lawyer explains that you are not automatically in the right in the event of an accident, since you are traveling on a street and not on a sidewalk.
Cycle and ski with caution
The police said that they use cycle lanes on the Danube Island every day, especially in the summer months. “The Viennese police at regular intervals focus on locations where dangerous situations can arise due to the situation,” a spokesman told wien.ORF.at. Due to the strong influx, however, sometimes tight situations arise.
Caution is advised with children, said Hoffer. These are exempt from the principle of trust. He recommends that cyclists ride with caution when children walk on the side of the road and that they reduce their speed. An ordinance of the City of Vienna also stipulates a slower pace: “Cycling, tobogganing, skiing and the use of sports equipment with wheels (e.g. skateboards, cross-country skis on wheels, etc.) must be carried out in such a way that neither people are endangered nor property is damaged “, It says in the” Danube Island Ordinance “from 2013.
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