Two serious accidents on Rügen: motorcyclist and child injured!

Two serious accidents on Rügen: motorcyclist and child injured!

On Wednesday afternoon, the streets in Lauterbach on Rügen were the scene of two frightening traffic accidents. In one of these incidents, a 38-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured when a 77-year-old driver lost control of his direction while turning into a supermarket parking lot. The motorcyclist had overtaken several vehicles and there was a serious collision between her motorcycle and the turning car. After the accident, she was taken to hospital with injuries, while the police were already investigating suspicions of negligent bodily harm. The material damage amounts to around 500 euros, as Nordkurier reports.

But that wasn't all: in the morning, a seven-year-old child was hit by a car in Bergen when he suddenly ran onto the road. Although the rescuers on site were able to act quickly and the child does not appear to be seriously injured, he was flown to a hospital by rescue helicopter and is undergoing medical treatment for observation.

Motorcycle accidents and their causes

The accidents in Rügen are not just isolated cases. Motorcyclists carry a higher risk on the road than car drivers. ADAC data shows that there are around 4.7 million motorcycles on the road in Germany, 15 percent of which are owned by women. The accident risks for motorcyclists are frightening: they are four to seven times higher than those for car drivers. Statistics show that around one in five people seriously injured or killed on the road is a motorcyclist, clearly indicating the dangers associated with motorcycling. This is also supported by [Autohaus](https://www.autohaus.de/nachrichten/ Schadenbusiness/adac-unfallanalyse-ein-drittel-der-motorradunfaelle-sind-alleinunfaelle-3377835).

What is particularly alarming is the fact that over a third of all motorcycle accidents are solo accidents. Driving errors and excessive speed are often the main causes. In addition, young motorcyclists between the ages of 15 and 24 are most often affected. Unfortunately, childish recklessness on the road is a common scenario, as the incident in Bergen today shows.

Road safety

The safety of motorcyclists can be increased through various measures. Technical safety features such as cornering ABS and traction control are not available in all motorcycles, but they could significantly help prevent accidents. The causes of accidents are known, and through adapted driving behavior and regular driving safety training, many of the regular injuries such as those reflected in Nordhessen-Journal could be avoided. Unfortunately, only about 25 percent of motorcyclists wear full protective gear, which poses another major risk.

The incidents on Rügen remind us how important it is to adopt a defensive driving style both as a car driver and as a motorcyclist. On your next trip, it's important to have a good hand, stay alert and always think about your own safety.