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In the spring, the cycling season picks up speed – the streets are simultaneously flooded with cyclists, scooter riders, pedestrians and drivers of all ages. It is not surprising that when different road users collide on the road, unpleasant incidents also increase dramatically, unfortunately, painful accidents cannot be avoided every year. Experts emphasize that in order to be safe road users, you need to accumulate skills and knowledge from a young age. The series of educational events – “Bicycles” – will remind residents of cities in large countries about this for the second year.
“Biking” in Alytus will take place on May 9, at 6:30 p.m., in Jaunimos Park. Cycling coach Vaida Bronickienė came to the radio FM99 studio, with whom we talked about bicycles, cycling and safe behavior on the streets.
According to Vaida Bronickienė, a bicycle is an excellent means of commuting to work, spending active leisure time and exercising: “I would like to be happy that the number of bicycles on our roads is increasing. There must be respect for each other on the road, then there will be order. While riding a bicycle, we learn peripheral vision, to ride straight and to observe traffic on a wide perimeter. It is necessary to assess the condition of the road, pedestrians, drivers. It is important to critically assess and monitor all traffic.”
This year, for the safe opening of the family cycling season, “Bicycles” will roll through Lithuania in May and June in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys and Alytus, and free safe cycling lessons will be given by the country’s most famous cyclists: “Tour de France” and “Giro d’ Italia” race stage winner Ramūnas Navardauskas, World Track Cup competition prize winner, Olympian Olivia Balaišytė, World MTB Marathon Cup competition prize winner Katažina Sosna and others.
Cycling is one of the country’s priorities
The culture of cycling in Lithuania is getting stronger – the national cycling and pedestrian infrastructure map created by the Ministry of Transport and the Lithuanian Road Directorate and presented to the public foresees that by 2035 the network of pedestrians and cyclists will expand to 5 thousand. km
Systematic promotion and prioritization of bicycle transport yields results – a representative survey conducted by the company “Spinter tyrimi” commissioned by the Ministry of Transport showed that 6 out of 10 Lithuanians claim to have adopted this means of transport, every tenth resident of the country rides a bicycle at least several times a month, once a week and more often on one-fifth of the respondents ride a bicycle, of which 3% travels by bicycle every day.
Risk of accidents for those who do not know the rules
However, as the number of cyclists on the roads increases, the need for safety inevitably becomes more relevant. Research by the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (LTSA) shows that residents still lack knowledge. For example, every sixth scooterist does not consider himself a traffic participant, while 37% do. they do not know which vehicle category the scooter belongs to; a large part of them have not read the Road Traffic Rules (KET) for them at all and are guided by the instinct of self-preservation.
“It is necessary to know the rules of the road – take an interest yourself or visit the events and consult with the specialists participating in them – and follow them, learn to see the danger posed by road users who ignore the rules, and if you are sure of your safety, avoid a traffic accident,” says the head of the Vilnius County Police Julia Samorokovskaya, Head of the Communications Sub-Department of the Commissariat.
According to Lithuanian police statistics, in 2023 2 bicycle drivers (one of whom is a minor) and 1 electric scooter driver were killed, 145 bicycle drivers (of whom 30 were minors) and 53 (of whom 14 were minors) electric scooter drivers were injured.
Will teach safe cycling
The purpose of “Dviratynyų” is to provide the public with the most necessary information about proper preparation for the cycling season in an attractive, interesting and one-stop place. “Dviratynes” is organized for the second year in a row by the Lithuanian Cycling Federation and the nut and dried fruit supplier “Arimex”. The partners of the event are the Lithuanian Police and the Lithuanian BMX Bicycle Association.
At “Bicycles”, participants will receive free bicycle training for children, an introduction to KET rules presented by the Lithuanian Police, bicycle expert consultations on choosing a bicycle, and wearing appropriate protective equipment. The event will feature performances by BMX Freestyle stars, and children will be treated to delicious gifts from the main event partner, Arimex.
