Leuven (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The legal system acquitted an Overijse resident for a fatal bicycle accident that occurred in Leuven. The student at that time struck down a 71-year-old pedestrian. A seventy-year-old person perished due to their medical injuries.
The Overijse man received a court decision that cleared him from responsibility in the bicycle-motorcycle crash which killed a Leuven resident in 2021. On November 28, 2021, the student struck Johan, who was 71, while cycling in Leuven. The pedestrian subsequently passed away due to his wounds.
The student first received a punishment consisting of 100 hours of community service and was required to pay €120,000 in damages. The court reversed both the punishment and compensation order after determining the defendant.StringUtils-Overijse was innocent regarding the cycling accident that took Johan’s life.
The lawsuit about the tragic accident came to court a year ago. At that time, the student was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 120,000 euros in damages.
“Although there is no speed limit, a road user must adapt to the circumstances,” the judge wrote in the verdict. “The student did not adjust his speed when he came around the bend, even though he had the time to do so.”
What is the history of cycling accidents in Belgium?
The incidence of pedestrian accidents during cycling has risen as a critical issue throughout Belgium, including Leuven, which has many shared cycling and pedestrian zones. Belgian road safety statistics show that cycling accidents increased to more than 4,000 incidents in 2021, and most of these accidents took place in zones where vehicles mix with other traffic. Due to its large number of cyclists, Leuven now invests more heavily in safety measures for roads while promoting awareness of them among its citizenry.
Such accidents create legal complexity since Belgian law focuses on shared liability together with adjusting responsibilities to match present environmental factors. The Overijse student’s case demonstrates how society faces difficulties in determining responsibility while conducting shared activities in street areas.
The popularity of cycling as a sustainable transport option requires better preventive and guideline standards to minimise traffic fatalities, which made up 8 % of total traffic-caused deaths in Belgium in 2021.
