The Angers street code goes with layouts for vulnerable users

A terrible accident occured on May 29th at the angle of Roi-René boulevard and Toussaint street, which cost a young boy's life, adresses the issue of the safety of the use of bikes in Angers town. The drama took place when a lorry coming from Roi-René boulevard turned right towards Toussaint street. A the same time, the young boy, 11 years old, who followed his father, both on their bikes, did an identic manoeuvre. The lorry driver would not have seen the cyclist.

That tragedy recalls another one occured several years ago at the angle of the Carnot boulevard and the Marie Talet avenue. A medecine student, got knocked over by a heavy goods vehicle driving down the boulevard when that one turned right towards the avenue. The young woman lost her life. These two facts testify the usefulness of the street code implemented by town hall (which mentions cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians, but not trucks) within the city. 

But they illustrate also the necessity to plan some layouts regarding the cyclists, above all if those are young people and to ensure the rules are known by users of the streets network who are not Angers inhabitants. If distinct cyclable lanes, totally separated from automobile roads, become more numerous on the main ways of the city (it is the case on Roi-René boulevard and a sign road "Give way" had been set up at this place), there are still dangerous points and the junctions are one of those.