Biker’s Fatal Crash Renews Scrutiny of Roadside Advertising in Czech Republic
A year after a 25-year-old motorcyclist died near Králíky in the East Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, questions are resurfacing about the safety of roadside advertising. While initial reports suggested a collision with an illegally placed billboard contributed to the accident, authorities now maintain a tree was the primary cause, even as numerous other advertisements remain along the same stretch of highway.
The incident, which occurred on Road II/312 between the villages of Lichkov and Dolní Lipka, involved a Suzuki motorcycle. According to police reports, the rider lost control during an overtaking maneuver, fell, and subsequently collided with a directional post, advertising structure, and a tree. Photographs from the scene initially fueled speculation about the role of a nearby billboard erected without proper authorization.
Last year, concerns were raised about a “black” billboard standing in violation of regulations. The owner of the agricultural company responsible, Lichkovský dvůr, received a fine of 30,000 Czech crowns – roughly $1,300 USD – for the unauthorized advertisement. “I can confirm the amount of a fine imposed. I can confirm. The statutory range was used in its determination,” stated Pavel Šverák, head of the construction department and technical administration from the Municipal Office of Králíky.
However, Šverák clarified that the biker’s fatal injury was not directly caused by the advertising equipment. “You mentioned a fatal injury to a biker from last year between the villages of Lichkov and Dolní Lipka was not caused by advertising equipment, but according to information about a mature tree near the road,” he explained. Despite this assertion, the police investigation continued to acknowledge a collision with the advertising structure. According to the Pardubice Regional Police Directorate, “The person was skating to the right shoulder until he got off the road to the right area and there was a collision with the plastic directional column and then with the metal design of the advertising and the tree trunk.”
The billboard in question, used to promote cheese produced on the farm, was inherited by the current owner, Andrea Králová Podzimková, who expressed her condolences but denied responsibility. “The problem is that the land belongs to someone else and the billboard also belongs to someone else, we did not give any brand there. We bought the Lichkov court about five years ago. The brand was a former owner who concreted it some 25 or 30 years ago,” she stated.
Despite the removal of the initial offending billboard, a reporter’s recent investigation revealed that other advertising signs remain along Road II/312. These include advertisements for agricultural products near Červený brook and three billboards in a row near Lichkov, close to the site of last year’s tragedy. Šverák maintains that these remaining banners currently comply with regulations. He noted that the first billboard is located 21 meters from the road, exceeding the 15-meter road protection zone for Class II roads.
The other three billboards, while within the protection zone, are “properly approved” with permits valid until 2028. “The location of these advertising facilities in the protection zone does not matter, as it is properly approved in accordance with the Road Act,” Šverák said, adding that the office aims to “minimize the number of advertising facilities in the road protection zone and have the existing ones in order.”
Looking ahead, changes to the Act on Roads, set to take effect in July 2025, will significantly expand the areas where billboards can be erected without requiring approval from the Road Administration Office and Traffic Police. The road protection zone will be eliminated in built-up areas, regardless of development density. This shift will particularly impact cities like Prague, where numerous banners already line busy roads such as the southern clutch, Štěrboholská radial, Rozvadovská spojka, and K Barrandova streets. .
The case highlights a broader debate about the balance between commercial interests and road safety in the Czech Republic, and the upcoming changes to the Act on Roads promise to further complicate this dynamic.
