Drivers who turn on me, or who open the window to insult me, happen to me two to three times a month
deplores Cécile Reynaud. This nurse travels 14 kilometers by bike every day to reach the Longjumeau hospital (Essonne), where she works. After twenty years of daily bicycle trips, she no longer counts the altercations with motorists.
> Question of the day. Cyclist killed in Paris: do you feel safe on the road? To respond, use the window below or click on this link.
Disputes that sometimes escalate very quickly: One day, I politely pointed out to a driver that he had brushed against me while overtaking me. He chased me, took a roundabout the wrong way to block my road. He started to get out of his car, threateningly. I started filming, that’s what stopped him
. These repeated incidents worry
this seasoned cyclist.
226 cyclists killed in 2023 in France
If cycling isn’t taking off more, it’s because people don’t feel safe enough. This is the major obstacle
explains Camille Thomé, director of the Vélo & Territoires association.
In 2023, 226 cyclists were killed on the roads of France, i.e. 18% more than in 2019. The figure increases more slowly
that the practice of cycling, also on the rise, but this assessment is still unsatisfactory
believes Camille Thomé.
Cycle lanes shared with buses, paths that stop abruptly or dangerous intersections: for some associations, it is primarily the infrastructure that is lacking.
In recent years, we have made progress, particularly in Paris, but we remain very far from the mark
estimates Olivier Schneider, of the French Federation of Bicycle Users.
Expensive construction sites
In the capital, even recent developments are not always well thought out
deplores the leader of the MoDem opposition at the Paris Council, Maud Gatel.
The projects are long and expensive: the town hall plans to invest 250 million euros in five years, to reach 430 kilometers of protected slopes in the capital by 2026.
Despite these efforts, the deputy in charge of transport David Belliard recognizes that certain infrastructures delivered four or five years ago are no longer dimensioned, victims of their success
.
“Battle for Territory”
In Paris, more than 8% of trips are made by bike, much more than the national average. Where there are more cyclists, motorists pay more attention
reassures Alexis Frémeaux, president of the Better Travel by Bicycle association.
For him, if sharing the road remains conflicting, it is above all because motorists are unfamiliar with certain new rules related to cycling: For example, overlapping a white line, which is now permitted to overtake a cyclist
.
In increasingly dense cities, psychologist Jean-Pascal Assailly sees in these tensions a battle for territory
rather than sharing the road. “The car is a bubble where we spend a lot of time, a second home. You are cut off from the outside world, and that encourages aggression,” he notes.
Reduce car space?
An urban frenzy impossible to pacify? For the deputy mayor of Paris David Belliard, the only solution is to further reduce the car space
: free up space for bicycles and pedestrians, and calm the pace of traffic.
Putting cyclists and cars back to back is stupid
replies Pierre Chasseray, of 40 million motorists. In Paris, I am a cyclist myself. Poorly maintained bicycles and non-compliance with signs are rarely fined, but we would not forgive a motorist for this, rightly so.
he believes. He calls for strengthening the teaching of bicycle safety rules from school.
Jean-Pascal Assailly also supports preventive and educational approaches
in particular on “stereotypes of masculinity”, which according to him encourage offenses. In 2023, in France, 83% of those presumed responsible for a fatal accident were men, according to Road Safety.
