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Child (11) seriously injured in tragic bicycle accident in Krugsdorf!
In Pasewalk, an 11-year-old child was seriously injured in an accident while riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road.
Child (11) seriously injured in tragic bicycle accident in Krugsdorf!
In a tragic incident in Krugsdorf, Western Pomerania-Greifswald, an eleven-year-old child was seriously injured in a traffic accident on Tuesday afternoon, July 1st, around 1:20 p.m. According to the Ostsee-Zeitung, the accident occurred when the 18-year-old driver met the approaching child on his bicycle. The child was driving on the wrong side of the road, which further endangered the situation. The collision resulted in the child having to be taken to hospital immediately.
The police estimate the material damage caused at around 2,350 euros. Even if the exact severity of the child's injuries is not known at this time, the case once again shows the danger that young road users in particular are exposed to. Despite the positive development in recent years, with the number of children injured in traffic accidents declining overall, road safety remains the focus.
Development of road safety for children
A look at the child accident atlas from the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) shows that in the period between 2015 and 2019, the number of accidents for pedestrians and cyclists was reduced by 24.6% and 26.3%, respectively. Nevertheless, the regional differences are significant and it is clear that there are different risks depending on the type of transport participation. The incidence of accidents for car occupants is particularly high in rural areas, while cyclists in central cities are most at risk. The Atlas aims to develop effective road safety measures to further minimize the risk to children.
The atlas' methodology covers accidents involving children up to 14 years of age and analyzes the data down to the community level. In particular, securing school routes for primary school students, cycling training for 10 to 14 year olds and addressing parents to promote independent participation in traffic are essential factors in making children safer on the road. Even though road safety has improved in recent decades, there is still a need for action to further reduce the risk of accidents for our youngest people.
In view of these developments, it is essential that not only parents, but also municipal infrastructure and transport policy do their part to create safe transport conditions. Parents should also be encouraged to actively motivate their children to take responsibility in traffic and get to school safely.
As the current incident in Krugsdorf makes clear, children are still at high risk today. The region still has a lot to do to further increase road safety. It remains to be hoped that lessons will be learned from such tragic events in order to prevent similar accidents in the future.
For further information on this topic, we recommend taking a look at the BASt Children's Accident Atlas and the detailed reports from the Ostsee-Zeitung.