Car rental firm Sixt has come under criticism for an image posted to its Twitter account that makes fun of hitting cyclists.
The post on Sixt Deutschland’s timeline on the social media was removed on Friday after Twitter users complained about it.
The Germany-based company, the market leader in its home market and operating in a number of countries around the world including the UK, has won awards for its advertising on social media.
But dw.com, the English language website of national newspaper Die Welt, reports that the post published on 5 October was criticised for overstepping the mark.
"There's always one friend who overdoes it a bit when driving. We now have a bumper sticker for him," the post said.
The accompanying image showed graphics of, respectively, a set of traffic lights, a cyclist and a cat, above each a tally reminiscent of the ‘kill counts’ painted by fighter pilots on their planes during World War II.
Among the complaints in the replies was one from a cycle campaign group based in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin, saying: "This advertisement is a mockery and shows a pure lack of taste for cyclists who have been killed or severely injured by drivers."
Another tweeted a post made by police in Bonn earlier this year about a child who was doored by the driver of a Sixt van who then drove of without checking on their condition.
Official statistics reveal that 382 cyclists were killed in Germany last year, the highest in the EU by some margin.
Partly, that is a factor of the country having the largest population among member states coupled with a relatively high modal share for cycling, which the federal government is determined to increase further.
At 17 per cent, Sixt’s own home city of Munich has the largest modal share for cycling among Germany’s large cities.
As we reported earlier this month, the Bavarian capital has been chosen, alongside Amsterdam and Copenhagen, to mentor 10 other European cities, including Manchester, in how to be more bike-friendly.
> Copenhagen to mentor Manchester on cycling in programme fully-funded by EU
How utterley sad. RiP Travis.
Let's see, if this is an ongoing issue how about a Poliv=ce Officer ride with them for a few daysor is that too much like real policing?
I guess it is, but it is also entirely voluntary! Neither of them is obliged to play the game....
I was thinking more Great War naval "dazzle" camoflage. It is meant to be seen, but to confuse the observer as to direction of travel and speed.
And, of course, dearest Jackie has never assumed that it's OK to break the speed limit, pavement park, dangerously overtake cyclists, look at...
Rub some washing up liquid on the inside of the lenses, then wash/wipe the bulk of it off and dry them. Old motorcycling trick.
That power bomb for MvtP on the final climb was something else. Alaphillipe getting the taste of his own medicine there.
I wish I would read other bike-discount.de costumers reviews before order something in this store. Everything went wrong from the beginning....
At least 50%?...
If you tanslate the first review on Decathlons site, you will find some one has noticed that spec wise things are a little odd, So for a endurance...