The off-road vehicles are the enemy of pedestrians and cyclists because they are much wider and heavier and cause more fatal accidents than ordinary cars, said the organization “No SUV Tolosa”, as the newspaper “Libération” reported.
The cities are not designed for such large vehicles and people must be prevented from buying such cars, which are real “climate bombs”.
Protest actions in big cities
There were protests in Paris and other major French cities over the weekend in memory of the cyclist Paul Varry (27), who was run over in Paris on Tuesday. The French cycling association, among others, called for more safety for cyclists on the road.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office is investigating the 52-year-old driver of the SUV on suspicion of murder because he is said to have intentionally run over the cyclist on Tuesday after an argument. The investigators rely on video surveillance camera images and witness statements.
SUV driver apparently drove over bicycle lane
In order to move faster in a traffic jam, the SUV driver had apparently already driven 200 meters across a bicycle lane when he rolled onto the 27-year-old’s foot. When he hit the hood of the car, the driver initially backed up, but then steered the car in the direction of the cyclist when he tried to call him to account.
The driver is in custody. His lawyer explained that the man had no intention of killing the cyclist. During the altercation he may have lost control of his car.
The activists in Toulouse also argued that for many people, buying an SUV is a question of status and an expression of masculine attitude. “It was this masculine attitude that cost Paul Varry his life. An ego-stricken SUV driver, unable to control his emotions, who would rather run over a cyclist and traumatize his own daughter in the vehicle than face the criticism of him Listen to cyclists and question yourself.”