Rear-end collision on state highway: driver injured, road closed!

Rear-end collision on state highway: driver injured, road closed!

On Tuesday afternoon, shortly after 3 p.m., a serious rear-end collision occurred on the state road between Ast and Waldmünchen in the Cham district. A red Peugeot and a dark blue Renault collided violently, which was then pushed into a silver Skoda. The eye-catcher of the scene was a police vehicle that observed the accident, but fortunately was not affected.

Unfortunately, the driver of the Peugeot recognized the slow-moving vehicles too late, which culminated in the unfortunate incident. The occupants of the Renault, which came from the Czech Republic, suffered minor injuries and received immediate medical attention. The police had to free the Peugeot driver from her vehicle because smoke was rising there. She was taken to hospital while both main vehicles were totaled.

Full closure and fire brigade in action

The fire brigades from Waldmünchen, Biberbach and Ast were deployed on site to close the state road and set up a diversion. The road had to be cleaned and the vehicles involved had to be removed. Such accidents illustrate how important road safety is and how quickly dramatic situations can arise on the roads.

However, this incident is not isolated. Every year, thousands of people in the EU lose their lives or suffer serious injuries as a result of traffic accidents. According to europarl.europa.eu, there were around 22,800 traffic deaths in Europe in 2019, while this figure fell by 4,000 people to 18,800 in 2020. A positive development that may be due to the pandemic-related restrictions that reduced traffic.

Safety on the roads in Europe

The European Road Safety Observatory provides valuable insights into road safety. The data shows that the number of road deaths in the EU has been reduced in recent years. The number of accidents fell by 3 percent last year, with around 20,400 people still losing their lives in traffic accidents in 2024. According to statistics, Sweden has the safest roads with only 18 road deaths per 1 million inhabitants.

In comparison, Romania has the highest rate with 85 road deaths per 1 million inhabitants. The EU average is 42 road deaths, which compares significantly better to other countries around the world - here the average is over 180.

Age groups also play a role in the accident statistics. 12 percent of traffic fatalities in 2018 were between the ages of 18 and 24, even though this group only makes up 8 percent of the population. These figures highlight the challenges that road safety strategies in Europe must face.

The current incident in the Cham district should make us all aware of the dangers in road traffic and remind us how important it is to be safe on the road.