Current Affairs More and more motorcyclists dying on Czech roads
Czech music fans were saddened last week at the news that Pavel Grohman, drummer in the popular band Chinaski, had been killed in a motorbike accident. His death has refocused attention on the growing number of motorcycle accidents on Czech roads. According to recent police statistics, every eighth victim of a road accident is a motorcyclist. Altogether 56 riders were killed in the first six months of this year, which amounts to 13 percent of all road deaths. Why are so many bikers killed on Czech roads? And how does the Czech Republic compare to other European countries? That’s a question I put to Jan Hoření from the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic.
“According to the data published by the European Safety Council, the
Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary and Latvia belong among the worst
countries as far as motorcycle accidents are concerned. The countries with
the lowest rates of motorcycle accidents are Norway, Switzerland, Denmark
and Finland.”
Why the Czech Republic of all places?
“The main reason is that we have young and inexperienced drivers. Motorcycling became a great fashion in this country. Motorcycles are much more available and they are not expensive. As a result, more and more young people buy them, but they have no experience. That explains why there is such a high number of accidents in comparison to other European countries.”
Can you describe the average motorcycle owner here in the Czech Republic?
Photo: Policie ČR
“They are usually between 18 and 25. But the biggest risk group are
people between the age of 20 and 25.”
What can be done to prevent the rate of motorcycle accidents?
“There are two things that should be done. One is police enforcement and the second one is preventive action, such as the project called “The Action” which is currently running under the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic.”
The Ministry of Transport is currently preparing a massive campaign, consisting of a series of TV spots with realistic images of road crashes, to teach Czech drivers to respect the rules of the road.
