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Lower Saxony Launches Shoulder-Check Safety Drive and €26.5 Million Cycle-Path Boost

Officials say a brief shoulder check can prevent common turning and merging crashes, which the new campaign and funding intend to reduce.

Overview

  • Authorities announced a multi-week safety campaign that promotes the shoulder check to drivers after state data showed a sharp rise in cyclist deaths last year.
  • Official statistics show 63 cyclists were killed in Lower Saxony in 2025, about 28 percent more than the prior year, with many crashes caused by turning vehicles or when cyclists merged into traffic.
  • The campaign is run by the transport and interior ministries with the Landesverkehrswacht and will use posters, stickers, headrest covers, street pictograms and digital notices in up to 30 municipalities.
  • The state also pledged a record €26.5 million this year for cycling infrastructure, funding 13 new build projects and repairs on 46 sections covering about 130 km of paths.
  • Officials highlighted that older riders and Pedelec users were over-represented among the fatalities and that about two-thirds of those killed were not wearing helmets, shaping targeted messaging and the combined education-and-engineering approach.