Lithuanian cyclist road safety protests

The Lithuanian cycling community has mobilized against proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Rules (KET) by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The proposed changes would transition mandatory minimum safe overtaking distances—currently set at 1 meter for speeds up to 50 km/h and 1.5 meters for higher speeds—into mere recommendations. Loreta Šlėguvienė, president of the NGO ‘Minam100’, warned that such changes would “significantly reduce the legal protection of cyclists and increase the risk of accidents.” The NGO, supported by the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee and various cycling federations, has appealed to government leadership to maintain current protections.

In response to these safety concerns, approximately 300 women conducted a symbolic protest in Vilnius titled ‘1 minute for safety’ to mark the tenth anniversary of the ‘Minam100’ charity event. Participants briefly halted traffic and lay on the asphalt to demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians to driver inattention. The protest concluded with a 100-kilometer ride from Valakampiai toward Nemenčinė and Buivydžiai.