Number of Traffic Fatalities Rising Again - Pedelec Riders Particularly Affected

The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) has published the preliminary results of the 2022 accident balance. According to this, there are 220 more fatalities to mourn who lost their lives in traffic accidents - 9% more than the previous year. The number of injured people also increased by 11% compared to 2021 to around 358,000. The number of police-recorded accidents also saw a 4% increase – a total of 2.4 million last year.

According to Destatis, 2022 was hardly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in contrast to the two preceding years. The annual driving performance is estimated to have increased by 4.5% to approximately 721 billion km in 2022 compared to 2021. Before the pandemic in 2019, it was around 755 billion km, which was 4.7% more than in 2022.

Increase in Fatal Accidents Among Cyclists and Pedestrians

In almost all types of traffic participation, more people died in the period from January to November 2022 compared to the first eleven months of 2021, according to the Federal Office's press release. The number of fatal accidents involving pedelecs increased particularly significantly by 60% (+75 deaths), while for bicycles without auxiliary motors it was 14% (+31 deaths). The number of pedestrians killed in traffic increased by 11% (+32 deaths), while for car occupants, it was 7% (+73 deaths).

On the other hand, the number of fatalities on motorcycles increased below average by 2% (+13 deaths). The number of fatal accidents involving goods vehicles decreased by 10% (-14 deaths).

Further detailed information for the individual federal states can be found at https://www.destatis.de »