Mountain biking is currently booming in Austria, but at the same time the number of accidents is also increasing. They have more than doubled since 2015, as recent statistics show.
These developments prompted the Board of Trustees for Road Safety and the Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety to prepare an Austria-wide study in the field of mountain biking. The study, which was drawn up between March and November 2021, should form the basis for preventive measures to prevent accidents.
In Austria, an average of 6,500 mountain bikers are injured every year. Seven die as a result of the injuries. Most accidents happen on the descent (96 percent).
78 percent of injured man
“With a male share of 77 percent, mountain biking is still a male domain,” Johanna Trauner-Karner of the Board of Trustees for Road Safety said when presenting the study results. This is of course reflected in the number of accidents. 78 percent of the injured are men and the number of dead even rises to 98 percent! Of the 42 motorcyclists who have died in Austria since 2015, only one is female.
The demanding descents in bike parks are associated with a higher risk of injury than “normal” paths and trails. Only 14 percent of the approximately 2,000 motorcyclists surveyed online as part of the survey stated that they regularly use the bicycle parking facilities. At the same time, about a third of all accidents can be attributed to this area.
Share of accidents involving e-bikes at 11 percent
The share of e-bikes among mountain bikes is steadily increasing. “About half of the mountain bikes sold are motorized,” said Peter Paal, chairman of the Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety. However, their share of accidents is only eleven percent. “E-bikes are mainly ridden by older people, who are likely to behave more cautiously,” says Paal, looking for a plausible explanation. Of course, he fears that the number of accidents in this area will increase significantly in the future.
Travel at speeds up to 70 km/h
The speeds of the mountain bikers were also measured as part of the study. “The fastest drove at 70 km/h on a forest path. The average speed of a mountain biker was 30 km/h,” says Johanna Trauner-Karner. 54 percent cited a driving error as the cause of the accident.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
