Dramatic accident in Mannheim: 19-year-old thrown out of convertible!

Dramatic accident in Mannheim: 19-year-old thrown out of convertible!

Road traffic repeatedly causes dramatic incidents, which unfortunately have not been avoided in the recent past. There was a serious accident in Mannheim at night when a 21-year-old driver drove through a red light on the B37 without braking. At the same time, another car crossed the intersection, which led to a serious incident. The young man swerved to the right, resulting in several injuries. The fate of a 19-year-old passenger who was thrown from the overturning convertible and sustained minor injuries was particularly tragic. These frightening images show once again how dangerous the roads are and make it clear that something can happen in traffic at any time - even if we don't expect it.

In the context of this tragedy, it is important to look at the current statistics on road accidents in Europe. Every year thousands of people in the EU lose their lives or are seriously injured. According to current data, there were over 20,300 road deaths in the EU in 2023; In Germany alone there were more than 2,800, which corresponds to an average of eight deaths per day. However, between 2010 and 2020 there was a 36 percent reduction in road traffic deaths, which represents encouraging progress. [Europarl] points out that in 2019 there were 22,800 road deaths, while in 2020 the number was reduced to 4,000. Perhaps also a sign that the initiatives to improve road safety are taking effect.

The age group of the accident victims

What is particularly striking is that 12 percent of traffic fatalities in 2018 were between the ages of 18 and 24, while this age group only makes up 8 percent of the population. This shows that young people are particularly at risk in traffic. Despite a 43 percent decline in this age group since 2010, the high accident rate remains worrying. The gender ratio is also interesting: 76 percent of traffic fatalities are men, which shows a consistent pattern in all EU member states.

The challenges are diverse. Pedestrian accidents are particularly common in the dark seasons, while motorcycle and bicycle accidents are often recorded in summer. However, car accidents are evenly distributed throughout the year, underscoring the need for careful driving in all seasons. The EU goal is clear: by 2030, road traffic deaths and serious injuries should be halved. The European Commission's “Vision Zero” even aims to have almost no road traffic fatalities by 2050. [Destatis] reports that this data comes from the Eurostat database and is intended to help evaluate future measures to improve road safety.

The events in Mannheim are another example of how quickly accidents can happen and how much road safety is a shared responsibility. Each of us should always have a good instinct to protect ourselves and others on our roads - because things can quickly get serious in traffic.