Tragic accident: Pedelec driver dies at an unrestricted railway crossing

Tragic accident: Pedelec driver dies at an unrestricted railway crossing

A tragic accident occurred at an unguarded railway crossing in Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg. A 63-year-old Pedelec driver was hit by a regional train and died. The incident occurred when the man was crossing the railway crossing and apparently failed to notice the approaching train. It is still unclear whether he was riding the Pedelec or pushing it. The train driver suffered shock and was taken to hospital for medical treatment. The material damage is estimated at around 12,000 euros. An expert was called in to clarify what happened to the accident. The railway line between Freudenstadt and Schopfloch remained closed until around 8:00 p.m. in order to advance the investigation, as zvw.de reports.

Railroad crossing accidents are a serious and common problem. According to a study by TÜV NORD, every third accident from the railway perspective is caused at these crossings, while from the road traffic perspective this is less than one in a hundred accidents. A worrying finding is that 98 percent of all fatal rail accidents occur at level crossings. Stefan Pöting, head of railway technology at TÜV NORD, emphasizes the urgency of reducing the number of serious accidents. In particular, the long braking distances of trains are often underestimated, which in many cases leads to fatal consequences. At a speed of 160 km/h, a local train needs around 700 meters to come to a stop, which illustrates the existential dangers at level crossings, as tuev-nord-group.com describes in detail.

Security measures and education

Technical safety devices such as barriers or warning lights have been proven to increase safety at level crossings. Pöting emphasizes that every barrier must be actively avoided in order to get over the track. Despite these measures, the risk of crossing a level crossing is often underestimated because quiet trains are often noticed too late. Raising public awareness is an important aspect of preventing such accidents. Pöting recommends reaching your destination too late rather than taking unnecessary risks. In recent years, the number of serious accidents at level crossings, including in other federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, has not decreased, which underlines the need for clear safety strategies.