Drunk cyclist crashes into concrete wall: seriously injured!

Drunk cyclist crashes into concrete wall: seriously injured!

On Monday night, around 1:28 a.m., there was a serious accident involving an alcoholic cyclist in Niederndodeleben, Börde district. The 35-year-old man was driving into the pit towards Ringstrasse when he drove through a right-hand bend at high speed due to a downhill gradient. Unfortunately, he couldn't brake in time and crashed into a concrete wall with full force. The collision was so violent that the cyclist suffered several fractures and had to be taken to hospital immediately. An alcohol test carried out showed an alarming 1.52 per mille.

Drunk driving or riding bicycles is a well-known problem in Germany. The statistics show that a total of 37,172 alcohol-related traffic accidents took place in Germany in 2023, with tragically 18,900 people being injured or even killed. This means an average of almost 102 such accidents per day, which clearly illustrates the dangers of drunk drivers. Compared to previous years, the numbers are down slightly, but still alarming: in 2023, at least one person died in more than one in eight accidents. The risk is also increased from 0.3 per mille. Motor vehicle drivers have a legal limit of 0.5 per mille, while cyclists and other road users can also be punished if they drive drunk.

A look at the numbers

The figures from the Federal Statistical Office show that alcohol still plays a major role in traffic accidents. In 2023, 198 people died in alcohol-related accidents, while the majority of drunk drivers were car drivers. The distribution of road users affected in alcohol-related accidents illustrates the problem:

• 43,8 % PKW-Fahrer
• 24,4 % Fahrradfahrer
• 10,2 % Pedelecnutzer
• 8,9 % Nutzer von Elektrokleinstfahrzeugen
• 3,8 % Mofafahrer
• 2,7 % Kraftradfahrer
• 2,2 % Lkw-Fahrer
• 2,3 % Fußgänger

The frightening reality shows that alcohol-related accidents should not be underestimated. Even if there are positive developments, the number of accidents and people injured or killed remains consistently high. Especially for cyclists, as in the case of the 35-year-old man from Niederndodeleben, every drink before riding can have fatal consequences.

In conclusion, we must all take responsibility to make the roads safer. Good advice would be to always use non-motorized means of transport when drinking alcohol or to avoid driving altogether.

References to the comprehensive statistics on alcohol-related traffic accidents and their effects can be found at the providers Statista and VPV, which regularly provide information about the dangers and consequences of such accidents: Statista and VPV.