The report by the National Police Headquarters traffic bureau comes days after Łukasz Litewka, a 36-year-old lawmaker from the Left party, was killed Thursday in the southern city of Dąbrowa Górnicza when a car driver — believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel — crossed into oncoming traffic and struck him head-on. The case is being investigated by prosecutors in Sosnowiec.
Cyclists were involved in nearly 3,500 road accidents in 2025. While most occurred in built-up areas, crashes outside them were far more lethal: 82 of the 155 fatalities — one in five people involved — occurred in 429 out-of-town accidents. Fridays recorded the most deaths, with 37 fatalities, or nearly a quarter of the annual toll.
Car drivers caused 1,732 accidents in which 57 cyclists died, making them by far the leading culprit. The main causes were failure to yield, improper crossing of cycle lanes and dangerous overtaking. Polish law requires drivers to maintain at least one meter of clearance when overtaking a bicycle.
Cyclists themselves caused 1,188 accidents in which 67 people died. Riders over 60 were responsible for 23% of cyclist-caused accidents but accounted for more than half of resulting fatalities.
"Cyclists are particularly exposed to danger, with no protective suits, crumple zones or electronic safety systems to protect them", said Commissioner Antoni Rzeczkowski of the national police traffic bureau, urging all cyclists to wear helmets.
Despite the grim figures, road safety has improved significantly over the past decade. "In 2016 there were 271 cyclist fatalities; in 2025 there were 155 — a 42% drop", Rzeczkowski said, adding that overall cyclist accidents fell 9% compared with 2024.
(jh)
Source: PAP