Chaos on the A81: Rain leads to numerous accidents near Tauberbischofsheim

Chaos on the A81: Rain leads to numerous accidents near Tauberbischofsheim

The constant rain is causing a lot of trouble not only on the meadows, but also on the roads. Last Monday there were several traffic accidents on the A81 near Tauberbischofsheim in the Main-Tauber district, which clearly demonstrated the dangers of aquaplaning. Loud SWR Three accidents occurred within a few hours, all of which were caused by the bad weather conditions.

The first accident happened early in the morning at 7 a.m., followed by another incident at around 10 a.m. But the biggest shock occurred around 1 p.m. when a car broke through the guardrail and fell down an embankment. Fortunately, the two occupants were only slightly injured and were able to get out of the vehicle on their own. However, recovering the car turned out to be tricky as the hillside location posed a challenge for the fire department. This first had to cut off the power supply to the hybrid vehicle and remove leaked operating fluids.

Repeated accidents due to aquaplaning

The A81 seems to have proven to be dangerous in recent weeks and months, particularly in rainy weather. Serious accidents have occurred here again and again, and that is no coincidence. As the police point out, ruts, poor road surfaces and the associated speed often lead to aquaplaning. A striking example is the incident on Saturday evening, June 2, 2025, when two accidents occurred in a row with property damage of over 80,000 euros. A 56-year-old lost control of his Skoda while aquaplaning and crashed into the central barrier - fortunately he was uninjured. Just 20 minutes later, a driver of a Mercedes S-Class found himself in a similar situation and also collided with the guardrail. These accidents illustrate the dangers that wet roads pose to us.

To minimize the risk of aquaplaning, authorities offer simple but important tips: adjust your speed to the weather conditions, check the tread depth of your tires and keep both hands on the steering wheel. A crucial point is also to know how to behave correctly in the event of aquaplaning: do not brake or steer hectically, but press the clutch, release the accelerator and keep the steering wheel straight.

More incidents in the region

But the accidents on the A81 are not the only incidents that concerned the police. There was also a break-in in Creglingen-Oberrimbach last week, where unknown people broke into a community center and caused several thousand euros in property damage. The police department is looking for witnesses in this connection. There was also a car break-in in Bad Mergentheim, where the window of a vehicle was smashed.

Safety on our roads is a sensitive issue. Overall, the number of traffic accidents is increasing, which is also confirmed by data from the Federal Statistical Office [ Destatis ]. Their survey shows that particularly rainy weather and the associated driving situations have an influence that should not be underestimated. As a result of climate change, the precipitation that brings us such weather conditions also appears to be increasing - another argument for increased vigilance in road traffic.