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Car rolls on its own and crashes into a street lamp in Geislingen!
A parked car rolled in Geislingen a.d. Climb against a lamppost. Police warn against improper security.
Car rolls on its own and crashes into a street lamp in Geislingen!
A spectacular incident occurred in Geislingen an der Steige on Sunday that illustrates the importance of parking vehicles correctly. A Mercedes that was not secured against rolling away while parked became self-driving around 4:30 p.m. The senior who had parked the vehicle went to the nearby outdoor pool. Suddenly the car rolled backwards about 50 meters and crashed into a lamppost, causing around 2,000 euros worth of damage to the car and several hundred euros to the lamppost. Fortunately, there were no injuries in this incident, which indicates serious safety deficiencies.
The police strongly advise that cars always be protected against rolling away, especially on sloping surfaces. She emphasizes that if the vehicle is improperly secured, you could face a fine. This warning is particularly relevant because the statistics from the German Road Safety Council (DVR) point to the frequent accidents caused by vehicles rolling away. According to dvr.de, 59 accidents involving vehicles rolling away were reported between 2011 and mid-2017, 25 of which were fatal.
The dangers of rolling away
Accidents caused by vehicles rolling away can often cause serious bodywork damage, but can also have more serious consequences. Most of the reported accidents occur when coupling or loading and unloading commercial vehicles. The DVR recommends that you always apply the parking brake (handbrake) when leaving the vehicle. This measure is intended to help prevent accidents and traffic disruptions.
In order to further increase safety, the DVR is committed to ensuring that vehicle manufacturers install self-applying parking brakes on all new vehicles. These brakes are intended to activate when the driver leaves the seat. This would significantly improve the automatic protection against rolling away.
Organizational and technical measures, such as training drivers about the dangers of rolling away, are also important. The DVR highlights that the parking brake must be activated before the driver leaves the vehicle and warns against inadequate solutions that only warn but do not take action.
The incidents in Geislingen once again underline the responsibility of every vehicle owner. Given the potential dangers, it is essential to always be vigilant and take appropriate safety precautions when parking. The German Road Safety Council appeals not only to private drivers, but also to commercial vehicle drivers, to take their liability seriously and to exercise the necessary care.