Many visitors to Copenhagen are struck by the huge number of bicycles that ply the city’s streets, with many choosing to join the locals and get around the capital on two wheels.
Not everyone is fully versed in the intricacies of Danish traffic laws, however – especially the ones you need to know when bicycling.
The Danish Road Safety Council (Rådet For Sikker Trafik) has worked alongside the police to produce an English-language flyer detailing traffic rules cyclists need to know.
Keeping to the right and not carrying passengers are two important pieces of information, as is the fact that you can be fined for using your phone while cycling (although don’t be surprised if you see the occasional Copenhagener break any of these three).
READ ALSO: ‘Just rude’: The Danish cycling habits most annoying to foreigners
The correct way to signal and turn left are two particular elements of navigating traffic as a cyclist in Denmark which might differ from other countries.
The flyer can be seen in full below.
Police officers in Copenhagen are currently handing out the flyers around the city including at hotels, the police said in a statement.
“We’ve had a very good response from the hotels we’ve been to. Just as we meet many tourists who aren’t sure of the rules, the hotels are the same,” police commissioner Henrik Brix said in the statement.
“We hope this simple flyer can help tourists to manage better in Copenhagen’s bicycle traffic,” he said.
“I would also encourage Copenhageners to be aware of tourists who might be a bit more uncertain while riding,” he added.
“Many of the guests in our town might not be hardened cyclists like us, so I hope everyone shows a bit of consideration, even if it’s a grey, wet summer morning and you’re late for a meeting,” he said.
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