Sleeping truck driver causes the Thankunfall on A70-luck in misfortune!

Sleeping truck driver causes the Thankunfall on A70-luck in misfortune!

On August 30, 2024, there was a serious accident on the A70 in the Kulmbach district at around 6 a.m. A truck driver was injured when his truck crashed into the middle protection plank sole involved and then had to be taken to the hospital. The incident occurred between the Thurnau-Ost and Neudrossenfeld junction. The first reports indicate that a medical cause led to the traffic accident, the 51-year-old may have lost awareness at the wheel, but the police could not confirm. During the accident, the truck first pushed against the right and left guardrail, before it came to a standstill on the left lane and expired operating materials on the road. The A70 in the direction of Bayreuth was then closed for several hours, and traffic was diverted. Der geschätzte Sachschaden belief sich auf über zehntausend Euro, wie inFranken berichtet.

The day after the incident, a similar incident was reported: a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit the guardrail. This accident occurred again on the A70, this time at Neudrossenfeld. The impact once again led to the diesel tank of the truck being torn open. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but three other cars were damaged by vehicle parts lying around. The emergency services immediately started removing the expired fuel on Tuesday, while no environmental damage was found. The property damage was estimated at around 43,000 euros, as PNP reported.

causes and dangers of fatigue at the wheel

The accidents illustrate the risks associated with fatigue when driving. According to Dekra , fatigue and fatigue phenomena are responsible for a variety of traffic accidents. In 2023, fatigue was the cause of 1,902 traffic accidents with personal injury in Germany, in which 3,010 people were injured, 42 of them fatal. It is unusual that the unreported number of these accidents is assessed as high because many traveling fatigue often do not admit or are difficult to prove.

Especially in the "dark season", the risk of fatigue increases. Strenuous days and driving at dusk or darkness make concentration more difficult and increase the risk of a second sleep. Experts recommend taking a break immediately if there is any signs of tiredness. A short "power nap" of 15 to 20 minutes can help here as well as movement in the fresh air, while coffee or energy drinks do not represent the optimal solution.

In order to increase traffic safety, fatigue warning will be mandatory for all new vehicles in the EU from July 2024. These systems capture steering behavior, the track posture, eye movements as well as the driving time and speed and issue warnings as soon as signs of fatigue are recognized. The personal responsibility of the drivers remains decisive for the security of all road users, since driving incapacity can lead to drastic legal consequences due to tiredness.