Failure to respect the right of way is a factor behind one in three serious cycling accidents in Belgium, according to a new report published by traffic safety institute Vias.
This includes both cyclist's and other road users' failure to respect the rules. Another significant factor in cycling accidents is poor visibility caused by infrastructure, foliage, other vehicles or lack of sunlight.
In 19% of accidents, cyclists fail to respect the right of way. Vehicles crossing into cycle lanes collide with cyclists in 15% of cases, cyclists fall over obstacles in a further 15%, and another 15% consist in the cyclist being denied right of way or not being given the appropriate space.
Who is responsible?
According to the Flemish Department for Mobility and Public Works (MOW), responsibility for such incidents lies equally between cyclists and other road users.
The cyclist was at fault in over one-third of studied accidents (35%) while the error was made by another road user in 31% of cases. The report concluded shared responsibility in 15% of accidents, while the road manager was deemed responsible in 18% of cases. The latter group "must ensure that cycling infrastructure is of good quality and recognisable, with sufficient space for cyclists, whose numbers are growing all the time."
Human error caused 65% of accidents and faulty infrastructure also played a significant role in a large proportion of accidents, the study found.
Last year, there were 10,735 accidents officially involving a cyclist in Belgium, a 6% increase in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. 2023 also saw the highest-ever recorded number of fatalities, with 96 deaths compared to 90 in 2019.
"This rise is clearly linked to the growing number of cyclists on the roads, but it is crucial to understand the causes of these accidents to try to reverse this trend," Vias noted.
Cyclists' safety is a hot topic in the Brussels-Capital Region, with one cyclist having been stabbed by a driver in a fit of road rage on Thursday. Belgian cycling advocacy group GRACQ warned that these altercations are frequent.
Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
There has been a concerted effort to improve cycling infrastructure in the capital city as well as the ambitious objectives of the Good Move plan, and on Thursday, the region confirmed the implementation of a new highway code representing a marked shift in mobility policy.
The Public Road Code aims to make roads safer for all users, ensure enough space for every user, promote active mobility and ensure clarity, consistency and legibility. The Code also hopes to eliminate all road deaths by 2050.
Vias welcomes the new rules but warns that measures will have to be taken to ensure that road users are familiar with the changes once they are implemented in September 2026.
