Drunk driver endangers traffic in Hohenlohekreis!

Drunk driver endangers traffic in Hohenlohekreis!

An incident occurred in Langenbrettach on Tuesday afternoon that highlights the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. A 74-year-old woman was driving her BMW drunk on Cleversulzbacher Straße. An attentive witness noticed that she was traveling in serpentine lines and very slowly. He followed the vehicle over several streets, including district road 2129 and state road 1036, until it was finally stopped in Bretzfeld. A breath alcohol test showed a level of just under 0.5 per mille, after which the woman was taken to hospital to give a blood sample. During their journey, numerous other road users, including a truck, were potentially in danger. Things got particularly tricky when she almost collided with a boy riding a bicycle in Langenbeutingen. Other road users at risk are asked to report to the Öhringen police station to clarify the incident.

Another traffic accident occurred in Künzelsau on Wednesday, involving two children. A 13-year-old and a 4-year-old were riding a light electric moped without a helmet and disregarded the flow of traffic when turning onto federal highway 19. A VW driver was unable to react in time and came into contact with the electric light moped, which caused the children to fall. Fortunately, the injuries were minor, but there was material damage of around 5,000 euros to the VW and around 300 euros to the light electric moped.

Dangers of riding e-scooters

The incidents in Langenbrettach and Künzelsau underline the growing problems in road traffic, especially with electrically powered vehicles such as e-scooters. According to a report by the KFV Although e-scooters are popular in Austria, the number of accidents is increasing alarmingly. The number of e-scooter injuries treated in hospital has increased fivefold from 1,200 in 2019 to 6,000 in 2023. It is also worrying that 12% of e-scooter drivers involved in accidents were drunk, compared to only 4% of car accidents.

Additionally, data shows that 77% of e-scooter accidents are self-inflicted. The KFV calls for measures such as compulsory helmet use for all drivers and emphasizes that the helmet wearing rate in Austria is only 9%. Safety measures such as reducing speed and wearing helmets could help reduce the number of injuries, particularly among drunk drivers.

Both the incidents in Hohenlohekreis and the data on e-scooters make it clear that road safety urgently needs to be improved. The responsibility of road users is becoming even more important in order to avoid accidents and ensure safety on the roads.