The number of road accidents in the city of Gelsenkirchen rose by 1,291 to 11,048 in 2023 and there was also a noticeable increase in the number of road users involved in accidents. There were also more serious and minor injuries in Gelsenkirchen, and a pedelec rider was fatally injured in a traffic accident in April.
However, there was a noticeable overall decline in the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists, and there is also a downward trend in accidents involving pedelecs. The number of senior citizens who had an accident on a pedelec has even halved compared to the previous year to 12 people. "We have intensified our efforts in the area of road accident prevention in particular with regard to pedelec riders of senior age. We are pleased that our offer in this area has been so well received and we will continue our efforts here," said Police Commissioner Tim Frommeyer, giving an outlook on the upcoming prevention offer.
The trend for children involved in road accidents as cyclists is slightly downwards. In contrast, the number of young adults aged 18 to 24 who were actively or passively involved in an accident increased. The accident figures for e-scooters are roughly on a par with the previous year, with a slight decline recorded in the fourth year of data collection. The figures for road accidents involving e-scooters were recorded for the first time in 2020.
The number of road accidents under the influence of alcohol and drugs remains consistently high and, at 141 cases, at an almost unchanged level. Such cases are recorded on average just under three times a week. A significant increase was again recorded in the number of hit-and-run accidents. The clearance rate for the 84 hit-and-run accidents involving injuries is just under 50 percent. For every day of the calendar year, the Gelsenkirchen police record around seven hit-and-run accidents. "Anyone who flees the scene of an accident and even leaves people injured is committing a criminal offense and must expect severe consequences," said Frommeyer.
All figures and data on traffic accident statistics can be found in detail in the traffic accident situation report 2023. The file is available in the download window on the right.