A cyclist in Brussels riding on the cycle lane on Avenue Louise became the victim of a severe case of driver aggression after being knocked off his bike and then stabbed in the neck by the angry driver of the vehicle.
The alarming incident took place on Friday 31 May as the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was riding home with a friend in the evening, RTBF reports.
The two cyclists were riding side by side on the cycle lane, clearly indicated by ochre paint and markings. However, although the bicycles had priority a car approached from behind and forced past the riders, knocking one man down in the process. "The car hit me as it went past and it stopped shortly after."
The victim describes how the driver got out the vehicle and was "clearly annoyed". But far from checking to see if the cyclist was injured, the driver swiped at the cyclist with a knife, inflicting a cut on the man's throat before getting back into the vehicle – allegedly a large Mercedes – and driving away.
Left in a state of shock, it was a few minutes before his friend called the police. The injured man received six stitches to close the open wound, close to the jugular. But despite stating that he feels relieved and lucky that the injury wasn't more serious, the psychological trauma might be harder to treat. "The incident is stuck in my head, I often have flashbacks of the attack. I realise how serious the attack was and how lucky I have been."
Nous sommes vendredi soir. Un cycliste remonte les allées "rue cyclable" de l'avenue Louise. Une grosse mercedes le dépasse et le touche. Le cycliste tape avec la paume de sa main sur le côté de la voiture. pic.twitter.com/tnWF9hbhZ6
— Nabla (@shadoweny) June 3, 2024
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed to RTBF that an investigation is underway to identify the driver, whose number plate has been partially identified.
Is Brussels cycle-safe?
Considerable progress has been made in recent years to roll out cycling infrastructure around Brussels, resulting in a marked rise in cyclists on the capital's streets.
However, altercations between drivers and cyclists remain common, warns the Belgian cycling advocacy group GRACQ. The organisation says that the relatively recent installation of many bike lanes means that some drivers are still unused to them and fail to drive with the caution that the lanes require.
It believes that many people who passed their driving test some time ago would not be aware of the bike lanes and the fact that priority is given to the cyclist. As a result, a spokesperson for the group explained that many cyclists feel insecure and distrustful of the infrastructure.
"It is unpleasant to ride in the middle of the bike lane – as is your legal right – when there is a car driving aggressively behind you. Some cyclists prefer to avoid bike lanes altogether as a result."
