With the objective to identify main characteristics of collisions between heavy trucks (approximately 12,000 kg gross vehicle weight and over) and bicyclists, 62 crashes from the German Insurers Accident Database were analysed. Fatalities represented 18% of casualties among bicyclists, 61% of the survivors were MAIS3+ injured. The largest proportion of AIS3+ injuries was found in the lower extremities, often caused by run‐over by the wheels of trucks. With approximately 60%, collisions during right‐turn manoeuvres of the truck were the most frequent scenarios. One third of first contact with the bicyclist was located on the right front corner of the truck cab. Significantly more female than male bicyclists were involved in right‐turn collisions and run‐over crashes (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The theoretical potential for electronic turn‐assistance was estimated based on manufacturer data for a production system. A proportion of 68% of all crashes in the study material was considered relevant for such driver‐assistance systems. With most accidents occurring in good weather and few obstructions found at tHhe crash sites to impair the detection of a bicyclist, high effectiveness is expected for such a system, given fitment of all truck types.