A tragic and horrifying accident that resulted in the death of two lorry drivers this week has once again highlighted the importance of being alert on the motorway in the event of unexpected traffic jams.
As a result of a rear-end collision at a traffic jam, two truck drivers died on Italy’s A1 motorway on Tuesday. The accident happened on the route between Pianceza and Parma; a lorry hit the rear of a tanker truck standing in a traffic jam. Both trucks immediately went up in flames and both drivers lost their lives.
The non-profit association “Hellwach mit 80km/h” (Wide Awake at 80km/h), whose activity focuses on preventing road accidents and building awareness of driver problems, calculated back in May that as many as 30 drivers had died this year in accidents involving trucks at the end of traffic jams on German motorways. That figure has now risen to 45.
German transit routes are very busy nowadays and are also in need of renovation. The high volume of traffic, in connection with the amount of roadworks, creates a hazardous situation.
Inadequate working conditions, time pressure, fatigue, short braking distances and, above all, a driver’s lack of attention – are all deemed to be causes of rear-end collisions at the end of a traffic jam. The lack of parking spaces and alcohol consumption can also lead to these fatal accidents.
The statistics make it clear that accidents at the end of traffic jams, especially at roadwork sites, are particularly deadly when HGVs are involved. It is for this reason that Trans.INFO is backing the “Hellwach mit 80km/h” campaign, which aims to spread the word and save lives.
Photo by Arny Mogensen on Unsplash
