In the first half of 2022, 29,828 traffic accidents were recorded by the police in Hamburg. According to preliminary statistics, the number of accidents is 10.7 percent below the level of 2019 before the corona pandemic, as the North Statistics Office announced on Monday. On the other hand, the number of accidents involving personal injury increased by 84 accidents compared to the pre-pandemic level. Cyclists are particularly affected: According to statistics, 1,477 cyclists had an accident from January to June 2022, 24.3 percent more than in the first half of 2019.
While the number of accident victims with conventional bicycles rose by 11.6 percent, the number of accident victims with electric bicycles (pedelecs) increased by 159 to 224 (plus 244.6 percent), it said. However, the number of cyclists killed in accidents remained unchanged. Two cyclists died in traffic accidents both in the first half of 2019 and from January to June 2022.
Users of motorcycles such as mopeds, motorbikes or mopeds and light motorcycles were also much more likely to be victims of traffic accidents: compared to the comparable period before the pandemic, the number rose by 16.7 percent to 322 casualties.
In contrast, the number of casualties in passenger cars fell by 26 percent to 1,519 casualties and in trucks by 24.5 percent to 71 casualties. The number of accidents involving pedestrians was also lower than before the pandemic and, according to the statistical office, fell by 20.2 percent to 403 people. A total of 4,229 people were injured in accidents in the first half of 2022, and 13 people died in accidents.