Around a hundred people gathered in Rouen and Caen on Saturday, October 19, in tribute to Paul, a 27-year-old cyclist who was fatally run over by a motorist in Paris. Cyclists’ associations are calling for awareness of the safety of bicycles on the road.
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Emotions have been strong since the death of Paul, a 27-year-old cyclist who was fatally run over by a motorist, Tuesday October 15, in the center of Paris.
Dozens of gatherings took place in France to pay tribute to him on Saturday October 19. In Normandy, around a hundred people gathered in Rouen (Seine-Maritime) and another hundred in Caen (Calvados).
The circumstances of this cyclist’s death cause particular emotion. According to the investigation elements presented by the prosecution, the driver of the vehicle, a 52-year-old man, allegedly drove over him after an altercation. Witnesses have “perceived a voluntary attitude of the driver during the movement of the car towards the cyclist”according to the public prosecutor.
A murder investigation has been opened. Friday October 18, the driver of the car was placed in pre-trial detention following police custody.
“CIt’s not an accident, it’s homicide. It must be qualified as such. There are people who go all out with their cars and who don’t respect cyclists.“, says Yvonne Bonnet, member of the Caen cyclists’ association Les Dérailleurs, present at the rally in front of Caen town hall. She explains having lost her 28-year-old nephew in similar circumstances, fatally struck down in April by a car while he was returning from work by bike.
“It is very difficult for all the people affected by road violence today to be able to make themselves heard.she adds. We are campaigning for the road to be shared, for us to have safe spaces and for everyone to understand that the car must absolutely take into account the most vulnerable on the road. We must manage to protect the most vulnerable.” insists the Caennaise.
A gathering in tribute to Paul, a 27-year-old Parisian cyclist killed by a motorist, in Caen (Calvados), October 19, 2024.
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© Stéphanie Lemaire / France Télévisions
Anger also resonates in Rouen, where the tribute took place in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. “It shocked the entire cycling community“, explains Antoine Channarond, co-responsible for the Sabine cycling association. “On have all experienced altercations and conflict situations with motorists as cyclists. You should know that when you are a cyclist, you are very vulnerable, you do not have bodywork, and therefore it is very distressing to have this type of conflict.“, testifies the thirty-year-old.
The sad event revives the debate on the place of cycling in cities. At a time when the ecological transition involves the development of soft mobility, the number of cyclists increases by 8% each year in the city
“Some drivers don’t see cyclists as legitimate on the roads“, deplores Alexis Fremaux, the co-president of the Association of Bicycle Users. To avoid altercations and risky behavior, some large cities have created cycle lanes on the road or opened bus lanes to bicycles.
But defenders of cycling in the city are calling for better arrangements. “We are not going to put a wall between the cars and the two wheels, but we should at least make a mini median of around twenty centimeters in order to properly separate the two roads.“, judge Jean-Marc Bailet, psychologist and road safety specialist.
In France, 221 cyclists died on the road in 2023, which represents 8% of road deaths. This share has been increasing over several years. In 2019, the number of cycling deaths was 187.
