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Bike boxes to prevent right-turn accidents

Lucie Rychla
January 18th, 2016


This article is more than 8 years old.

Some 57 bike boxes will be painted at problem intersections across Denmark to save the lives of cyclists

An example of a bike box design (photo: Richard Masoner)

A total of 57 bike boxes will be painted at busy intersections across Denmark to prevent right-turn traffic accidents, which are a frequent cause of severe injuries and fatalities among cyclists, reports TV2. The boxes are supposed to make cyclists more visible in front of vehicles while waiting at traffic lights.

Over the past 10 years, right-turn accidents have cost the lives of 50 cyclists and accounted for 15-20 percent of all traffic casualties involving cyclists.

Thirteen municipalities will receive funds from the Danish Road Directorate, which has allocated a total of 3 million kroner for the bike boxes.

READ MORE: Focused on preventing deadly accidents

More visible
The boxes are squares painted on the road, where cyclists are allowed to stand in front of right-turning vehicles instead of being squeezed in a narrow passage next to the cars.

The Road Directorate was inspired by positive experiences with this solution in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.

An accompanying campaign on the roads and on TV will show both drivers and cyclists how to avoid right-turn accidents.


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Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

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“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

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Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”