Crime statistics

Almost 1000 bikes stolen in Vorarlberg

The number of bicycle thefts in Vorarlberg more than doubled in the previous year compared to 2022. Equally unpleasant: the crimes are only solved in the rarest of cases. 

In the recently published crime statistics for Vorarlberg, one "anomaly" stands out in particular: the extreme increase in bicycle thefts. Exactly 984 bicycles were reported stolen in the previous year - that's 576 more than in 2022.

However, it should also be noted that significantly more bikes have been stolen in the recent past, with almost 1,400 stolen in the record year of 2017. The regional differences are striking: 331 bikes were stolen in the district of Bregenz, closely followed by the districts of Dornbirn (294) and Feldkirch (283). The district of Bludenz, on the other hand, accounted for only 76 offenses.

Once a bike has been stolen, it is generally never recovered - the recovery rate last year was just eight percent.

 Always lock up your bike properly
This makes it all the more important to take precautions yourself. The most effective protection: always lock your bike - with a high-quality U-lock. Make sure that the shackle encloses not only the front tire but also the frame.

On a positive note, the number of bicycle parking spaces is gradually being expanded at Vorarlberg's major mobility hubs - including in the form of theft-proof boxes. "More and more people are using bicycles as a means of transportation. This makes it all the more important to create more parking spaces for bicycles," emphasizes Christian Gratzer, spokesman for the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ).