Death trap country road

Too many biker deaths: Will more 80 km/h speed limits help?

Since the start of the motorcycle season, the emergency services have already been involved in a number of accidents.(Bild: FF Weidlingbach)

13 out of 15 fatal motorcycle accidents occurred on country roads last year, the main cause being inappropriate speed. Following the latest two biker tragedies, the traffic club is now calling for popular speeding routes to be dismantled and for more 80 km/h speed limits.

All help came too late on Monday afternoon for a 29-year-old from the district of St. Pölten. He lost control of his motorcycle on the country road in Asperhofen for as yet unexplained reasons and crashed into a tree. It is already the second fatal biker accident on Lower Austria's roads within a few days. Three days earlier, as reported, a 43-year-old lost his life in an accident on the S 1 near Rannersdorf in the district of Bruck an der Leitha.

It is important to reduce speeding lanes because roads should not invite speeding.

Helena Schuch, Expertin des VCÖ

"Unfortunately, the start of the motorcycle season is already making itself sadly felt in the accident statistics," explains Helena Schuch from Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ). Most of the serious incidents occur at higher speeds. For example, 13 of the 15 fatal motorcycle accidents occurred on open roads. In eight of them, excessive speed was the cause.

The traffic expert is therefore calling for the removal of popular speeding routes and more frequent speed limits. "More speed limits of 80 instead of 100 can increase road safety on open roads," Schuch is convinced.

Appeal to driving behavior
She also appeals to the driving behavior of two-wheeler drivers: "Attentive, adapted driving can significantly reduce the risk of accidents. Risky overtaking maneuvers should be avoided at all costs!" She also calls car and truck drivers to account, as they can also put motorcyclists in danger due to inattention.