21. Promoting Objective and Subjective Safety for Cyclists in Metropolitan Areas

Excerpt

The number of bicycle accidents is currently rising and is considered a major political challenge (Polizeipräsidium Stuttgart 2019; Wundersee 2019). In 2018, there was an increase of 50 deadly cycling accidents compared to 2017 (Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur 2019). The fact that cycling is considered a major political challenge can be seen in how Vision Zero has been embedded within the coalition agreement of the German federal government, which stipulates the medium‐term reduction of the number of fatalities to zero using measures such as increasing the number of cycle paths (Ein neuer Aufbruch für Europa, Eine neue Dynamik für Deutschland, Ein neuer Zusammenhalt für unser Land 2018). Indicators on the number and risk of accidents are defined as objective safety (Sørensen and Mosslemi 2009). In order to promote cycling, however, not only objective safety in cycling should be considered, as is the case in the coalition agreement. Subjective safety, referring to cyclists’ individually perceived safety of an environment (Liu et al. 2012), represents another important aspect. …