Mountain bikers injured in pointed bends - rescue helicopter in action!

Mountain bikers injured in pointed bends - rescue helicopter in action!

Spitzkehrene, Österreich - In the past few months, several serious accidents have occurred with mountain bikers who illustrate the dangers of sport. A current incident that has occurred in pointed bends today clearly shows the risks that mountain bikers are exposed. Around 11:15 a.m. there was a frontal collision between a mountain biker and a car, whose handlebar is 25 years old and comes from Villach. The mountain biker was on a departure when he got onto the oncoming lane in the first pointed bend. The cyclist fell and pulled up head and facial injuries. Fortunately, the driver of the car was unharmed and both those involved in the accident received negative alcohol tests. The injured mountain biker was transported to the Klagenfurt Clinic with the C11 rescue helicopter to be treated there.

This incident is not the only serious accident that has recently been reported. A similar incident occurred on July 12, 2025 in Alzenau, district of Aschaffenburg. Here too there was a severe fall of a mountain biker on a trail. The use of the fire brigade and rescue helicopter was necessary to quickly supply the injured. The rescue helicopter landed on a nearby soccer field. The fire brigade was taken over by the fire brigade, followed by medical care by an emergency services and emergency doctors. After the medical care in the ambulance, the mountain biker was finally brought to the hospital with a helicopter.

The boom of mountain biking and increasing number of accidents

The increasing number of accidents in mountain biking are alarming. Studies show that the number of injured mountain bikers in 2021 was over 9,000, while on average from 2015 to 2020, around 6,500 injuries were recorded. This increase can be explained by the booming sport, which enjoys great inflow both on trails, forest roads and in bike parks. However, it is worrying that 96% of accidents happen during the departures. In addition, around 54% of bikers make driving mistakes their cause of the accident, while unexpected soil conditions are responsible for 24%.

The use of bike parks is comparatively low, but 32% of accidents occur there. This shows that there are also risks in structured and well -preserved areas. The most common injuries in accidents affect the shoulders, with men with 77% clearly the majority of mountain bikers. It is particularly alarming that 98% of fatal accidents affect men. This illustrates the need for increased security consciousness and prevention measures.

security measures and recommendations

In order to minimize the risk of injuries, mountain bikers should consider some security measures. This includes adapting the tours to individual fitness and driving skills. Regular maintenance of the bike is also essential. Wearing protective equipment such as helmet, knee and elbow supporters should be part of the standard practice. Driving technology courses can also help increase security and avoid accidents.

The preventive measures are particularly important in view of the high speeds that mountain bikers can reach. The average speeds on trails are around 24 km/h, while up to 29 km/h can even be reached in bike parks. Top speeds of up to 70 km/h on forest paths are also a considerable risk. Therefore, special attention should be paid to speed and driving technology in all trips.