Copenhagen, widely recognized as one of the world’s best cycling cities, is rolling out a new safety campaign aimed at helping tourists navigate the city’s busy bike lanes. The initiative, launched by the Council for Safe Traffic (Rådet for Sikker Trafik), comes in response to growing concerns that inexperienced cycling tourists are creating dangerous situations on Copenhagen’s streets.
A Growing Safety Concern
According to a survey conducted by Epinion for the Council for Safe Traffic in the fall of 2025, a striking 32 percent of Copenhagen cyclists reported that cycling tourists pose a “high” or “very high” traffic safety problem. The survey polled 565 Copenhagen cyclists and highlighted the challenges that arise when visitors unfamiliar with local cycling rules take to the city’s extensive network of bike lanes.
Jakob Bøving Arendt, managing director of the Council for Safe Traffic, explained the motivation behind the campaign: “The goal is to ensure that tourists don’t come to harm in traffic while they’re on vacation in Denmark. But it’s also about protecting all the Copenhageners who cycle around out there.”
Campaign Targets Tourists and Locals Alike
The campaign will appear throughout the city and on social media platforms, providing tourists with an overview of the rules they need to follow when cycling in Copenhagen. It covers essential traffic regulations that visitors may not be aware of, helping them integrate safely into the city’s fast-moving cycling culture.
Klaus Bondam, director of Mobility, Culture, and Destinations at Wonderful Copenhagen, acknowledged that the tourism industry has a “huge responsibility” in this area. “We are clearly not there yet, and it’s something that a number of actors share responsibility for,” he said.
Copenhageners Also Part of the Problem
Interestingly, the campaign isn’t just targeting tourists. A 2024 survey by the Council for Safe Traffic, Factive, and Norstat found that every second Dane admits to breaking traffic rules on a typical bike ride. The survey of 1,251 cyclists aged 18 to 40 across Denmark’s five largest cities revealed that local cyclists aren’t always the best role models for visitors.
The Council for Safe Traffic is therefore also urging Copenhagen cyclists to show more consideration and follow traffic laws, setting a positive example for tourists who are trying to adapt to the city’s unique cycling culture.
A Shared Responsibility
Benjamin Touré, police commissioner at Copenhagen Police’s Traffic Department, encouraged locals to lead by good example: “Unfortunately, we experience that some of the rules are not always followed. Therefore, there is also an invitation to Copenhageners to take the lead with good examples and follow the Traffic Act.”
The campaign reflects a broader recognition that making Copenhagen safe and welcoming for cycling tourists requires effort from multiple stakeholders — including the tourism industry, local cyclists, and city authorities. As Bondam noted, “If Copenhageners don’t think it’s nice or safe to have guests in our city, then it’s not a positive experience to be a guest either.”
For visitors planning a trip to Denmark’s capital, the message is clear: get on a bike and explore the city, but make sure you know the rules of the road first.