Bike infrastructure can prevent solo crashes in Vienna

Better-designed cycling infrastructure could prevent many crashes in Vienna in which no other road user is involved, ORF reported. The city recorded 1,400 cycling crashes involving injuries last year, including 86 solo crashes.

The actual number may be higher, Statistics Austria said, because police are often not called after cycling crashes that cause only minor injuries.

Small details can cause crashes, including a lamp post protruding into a cycle path or trees creating rapid changes between light and shade. These hazards can be particularly difficult for inexperienced cyclists and may lead to serious injuries. The danger is especially high when a fall leaves a cyclist in a hazardous area, such as a vehicle lane.

Half of fatal cycling crashes are solo crashes

Karin Markvica of the Austrian Institute of Technology said the concept of forgiving infrastructure could help. The approach recognises that people make mistakes and aims to reduce the consequences immediately after a crash. It can also prevent solo crashes altogether, she said.

Matthias Nagler, a traffic expert at ÖAMTC, said about half of fatal cycling crashes now involve only the cyclist.

Mobile laboratory checks cycle routes

Physically separated cycle paths can reduce the risk of cyclists falling in front of moving cars. Regular maintenance and renewal of infrastructure can also improve safety.

Markvica leads the AIT’s InfraRad project, which uses a cargo bike to inspect cycle routes and automatically identify damage. The team assesses the type and location of surface damage. The classification is currently done manually, but is expected to become AI supported.

The AIT has converted the cargo bike into a mobile measuring laboratory called Bikestar. It is equipped with sensors and cameras that record the condition of the road surface, the surrounding area, traffic signs and vegetation alongside the cycle route. Previously, several inspection trips were often needed.

Guidelines and conditions often differ

The findings are sent to the regional authorities. Surface damage and road markings that are difficult to see can often be fixed quickly, Markvica said. Inspections also identify narrow sections, including locations where lamp posts leave too little space for a two-way cycle path.

Austria’s guidelines and regulations for road construction set standards for cycling infrastructure. On main roads with a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour, physically separated cycle paths are needed, Nagler said. However, many streets still have very narrow shared-use lanes, even though they no longer meet the technical guidelines for that type of facility.

The central challenge is a lack of space. High-quality cycle routes need room that is often occupied by motor vehicles, either through traffic lanes or parking spaces. Pedestrian space must also be protected, Markvica said, meaning that a perfect solution is rarely possible. Reducing damage and dangerous points is therefore particularly important.