The number of traffic accidents with bicyclists has doubled over a period of 15 years. The data provided by the State Statistics Bureau (SSB) shows that in 2019, three bicyclists have died in traffic accidents, while 232 drivers and passengers on bicycles were injured. These numbers are smaller compared to 2018 but are significantly higher if we analyze the statistics of injured or killed bicyclists in the past 15 years.
A decade and a half ago, in 2004, 9 bicyclists were killed in traffic accidents while 167 people on bicycles were injured. The period before 2004 shows even lower numbers of injured or killed. Still, in the past 15 years, the dangers for the bicycles in the traffic has risen parallel to the increase in the number of registered vehicles in our country and the rise of the number of traffic violations by drivers.
Statistical data shows that most of the killed and injured bicyclists are at the age between 24 and 64 (three killed and 125 injured during 2019), and they are followed by elderly people above 65, with 33 injured during the previous year.
Macedonia is one of the few European countries that hasn’t got a special bike path built that will serve to connect two cities in the country nor there are bike paths that will connect the suburbs with the town centres. Special lanes for bicycles have only been built in city areas. Still, even in Skopje, certain city areas like Radishani, Saraj and Drachevo, haven’t got bike paths that would allow an uninterupted movement of bicycles from and to the city’s center.
