Accident on Critical Mass: Cyclist and car driver in collision!

Accident on Critical Mass: Cyclist and car driver in collision!

A worrying incident occurred in Linz when a female driver crashed into a group of cyclists taking part in a “Critical Mass” demonstration. According to police, the 20-year-old driver was overwhelmed and was not aware that it was a bicycle demonstration. She is now charged with negligent bodily harm. According to reports, she had previously drawn attention to herself by honking loudly because she felt obstructed by the cyclists. She came very close to the cyclists and eventually pushed herself into the group, which led to a collision like this Small newspaper reported.

Two cyclists, 42 and 61 years old, suffered minor injuries in the accident, but refused to ride in the ambulance. Interestingly, an alcohol test for one of the cyclists showed a blood alcohol level of 0.8, which is why he is also reported. The safe distances that must be maintained between drivers and cyclists were apparently not in place, indicating a dangerous situation. Similar legal issues regarding accidents among cyclists have already been discussed by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court. In a ruling, the Higher Regional Court found that no general exclusion of liability applies to training rides among cyclists if accidents occur, such as ETL Lawyers confirmed.

This ruling ruled that a cyclist who does not maintain a safe distance when overtaking and thereby endangers others can be held liable. This is particularly relevant for group training rides, where close distances and differences in speed can lead to dangerous situations. The case in Linz underlines the urgency of observing safety standards in road traffic, especially when cyclists and vehicles collide.