Road safety figures are deteriorating in Haute-Savoie. In 2024, six cyclists have died on the department's roads, compared to just one last year. Prevention operations are organized in Annecy to remind people of safety instructions.
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When it's time to leave the offices, there are more and more bikes in the streets of Annecy. Cyclists who sometimes neglect certain safety equipment, including lighting. The Roule & co association organized an awareness campaign on Wednesday November 6 in the streets of Venice of the Alps, with the distribution of rechargeable lights for the less equipped.
“When we are not enlightened, it can be dangerous because we have the impression that we are seen but that is not the case”recalls Alvine Bissery of the Roule & co association. “We don’t necessarily think about it. We tell ourselves that there are city lights and that we don’t necessarily need to put extra lights on our bike”concedes Lucie, a cyclist.
When cycling, half of fatal accidents occur at night. Wearing a reflective vest and lighting in good working order are compulsory under penalty of a fine ranging from 38 to 150 euros. “Cyclists see, but not the motorists in front. Especially when, like this gentleman, we are dressed in dark. We are going to give him a yellow vest”smiles Alvine Bissery, pointing to a cyclist next to him.
In Haute-Savoie, the road safety figures are not good. Thirty-five people have died on the roads this year, more than all of last year in the department. The most affected are so-called “vulnerable” users – motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists – who represent two out of three victims. Since the start of the year, six cyclists have died on the roads of Haute-Savoie, compared to only one for the whole of 2023.
“We must remember that, when we are cyclists, also because we are more fragile, we must be more careful. Among these prudent actions, there is respect for the highway code. This is important”underlines the road safety project manager at the Haute-Savoie prefecture, Emmanuelle Plantier-Lemarchand. Sharing the road is also learned from a very young age. Road Safety is intensifying campaigns among young cyclists to teach them basic safety instructions.
“The day you are on a bike or scooter, you should never stand next to a truck or a bus, whether you are on the left or the right. You stay behind the vehicle”explains a trainer to a schoolgirl, installed in the cab of a truck to understand the drivers' lack of visibility. Because the blind spot remains the main cause of many serious accidents. Last June, in Cran-Gevrier, a cyclist lost her life at an intersection, crushed by a heavy goods vehicle which had not noticed her.
