One in five accident escapes in Baden-Württemberg: An alarming trend!

One in five accident escapes in Baden-Württemberg: An alarming trend!

In 2025, the topic of accident escapes will be on everyone's lips again. An alarming high of around 68,600 cases was reached in Baden-Württemberg. Over 20% of those who cause accidents simply disappear after an accident without saying a word, which poses a major challenge for the police. As a result, the proportion of accident escapes in the total number of accidents has remained constant at around 22% over the years tagesschau.de reported.

In comparison, there is a slightly lower average of just under 19% of accident escapes in Bavaria. What is interesting is the fact that the absolute numbers are continuously increasing in both Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. While more than 59,300 hit and run accidents were recorded in 2020, the number rose to 68,600 cases in 2021. In the first half of 2025 alone, there were an estimated 33,500 hit and run accidents, with 108 serious injuries and even six deaths left behind by those responsible.

The background to the accident escapes

To understand the causes of this worrying situation, it is worth taking a closer look at the background. In this context, Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) pointed out the urgency of promoting more consideration and careful behavior in road traffic. Not only the increasing number of accident escapes, but also the total number of traffic accidents has an alarming trend - a further increase is expected by the end of the year.

In Germany there were around 2.5 million road traffic accidents in 2024, which represents a decrease compared to the previous year, but the challenges remain. The most common causes of accidents are insufficient distance, inappropriate speed and, often, drunk driving. This potential danger is not only threatening to those directly involved, but also to all other road users.

With a strategy against accident escapes

The “Vision Zero” goal, which aims to achieve zero traffic fatalities by 2050, is also discussed in the broader road safety discussion. To achieve this, not only better infrastructural measures are required, but also increased awareness among all road users. Human factors such as inattention and recklessness often remain the main causes of fatal accidents.

Additional attention is paid to the increasing number of accidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters. We have to be vigilant here too, because the numbers are alarming: in 2024, over 26,000 injured or killed e-bike riders were registered. The figures make it clear that it is not just drivers who play a key role in road traffic, but that other means of transport should not be ignored either.

How all-in.de also states that the issue of hit-and-run accidents remains a serious problem. The challenge for transport and safety policy will be to take both preventative measures and raise public awareness to improve safety on our roads.

With all of these challenges ahead of us, one can only hope that road safety will be noticeably improved in the coming years through targeted measures and a common rethink in society. Ultimately, it's about protecting everyone and being safe on the road.