Two deaths have recently bereaved the cycling community in the Lot. The first took place on March 23 in Castelnau-Montratier, the second on April 20 in Puy-l'Evêque. One was 97, the other 69. Both were killed on the road, hit by vehicles. Accidents that are sadly recurrent. However, very few cyclists dare or even think of filing a complaint. "Nothing significant" in any case on the side of the gendarmerie.
Even today, Gérard feels pain in his vertebrae. However, the accident took place ten years ago. While driving on the N20 with his brother and son, a car hit him from behind. Four broken vertebrae, a damaged ligament, thirty minutes of coma, fifteen days in hospital and two months of rehabilitation... For Gérard, the toll was heavy. "I had to relearn to speak, to walk, to write," he says.
A former diligent cyclist, he now spaces out his bike rides. "My brother and my son haven't cycled since. I don't remember the accident, so it's easier. But I'm careful, I avoid roads that are too big," he says. . "Nothing has changed in 10 years. Cars don't pay attention to bikes. They burn stop signs, cut us off, overtake us too closely." Nuance all the same: for the cyclist the wrongs are shared. "Current cyclists don't stand out enough. When you ride, you have to wear fluorescent clothes!"
@johnbenton @withFND Bout time
— Backstage Circus Mon Apr 12 02:54:48 +0000 2021
On the country roads or in the cities, same fight
Whether you are an amateur cyclist or a professional cyclist, the risk is the same. Mathieu competes at the national level. Twice a week, he takes the departmental roads of the Lot to train. He too had several falls, including one that injured his pelvis, because the cars in front were not vigilant enough. "Often drivers don't even stop when they hit us with their mirrors or knock us down," he said. For him, only one solution: "more checks on the part of the gendarmes". In the cities, it is not better. "On the cycle paths, there are pieces of glass, gravel... We risk a puncture," he laments.
It's a different kind of incivility faced by Talia, an occasional cyclist. Less dangerous, but just as unpleasant. "I have the right to inappropriate remarks because I am a woman, I am whistled. Last summer, on the road to Trespoux, I was even thrown water on me. When I drive alone, I don't necessarily feel safe. It's degrading," she sighs.
Call for vigilance
"The roads of the Lot are not suitable for cyclists", concedes Raymond Dyszkiewicz, director of road safety of the Lot, refusing all the same to take sides. "Cyclists and motorists must therefore be extra vigilant." However, in France, 68% of motorists claim to be extra vigilant when approaching cycle paths. "Everyone must respect the highway code", insists Raymond Dyszkiewicz. "Unfortunately, with Covid-19, we are doing less awareness raising among young motorists, in colleges and high schools. The whole problem comes from there".
