81-year-old causes drama on the A31: three accidents in ten minutes!

81-year-old causes drama on the A31: three accidents in ten minutes!

A frightening incident occurred today on the A31 motorway in Lower Saxony. An 81-year-old driver caused at least three traffic accidents in just ten minutes. According to reports from Oldenburg online newspaper and News Today The man drove into two collisions, first near Meppen and later near Dersum, without caring about the damage caused.

The most dangerous incident occurred at 3:24 p.m. near Rhede when the driver of a Mercedes entered the main lane and caused a collision with a Skoda driven by a 40-year-old woman. The Mercedes then rolled over and came to rest on its roof. The 81-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital in a rescue helicopter, while the Skoda driver was fortunately uninjured.

Completely closed highway

The A31 in the north direction was completely closed for several hours, and the oncoming lane was also temporarily blocked to allow the rescue helicopter to land. The Lathen motorway maintenance department was only able to reopen the route to traffic at around 10:34 p.m., which significantly affected many drivers who were traveling on the busy route.

This incident raises questions about the road safety of older drivers. The ADAC points out that older road users, especially those aged 65 and over, may experience reduced responsiveness and vision. A report by the ADAC describes that although in many cases seniors are more likely to be at risk than a threat, they also need to drive prudently in order to be able to safely participate in traffic. In fact, people aged 65 and over caused only 18.5% of personal injury accidents in 2023 - less than their share of the population of around 22%. Nevertheless, they are disproportionately represented in fatal traffic accidents, especially as pedestrians and cyclists.

Anticipatory driving

ADAC expert Ulrich Chiellino emphasizes: “Older drivers often have a forward-looking driving style, which can help compensate for age-related losses in performance.” Nevertheless, the ADAC recommends regular medical examinations, for example to check your eyesight and ability to react. If you have health problems, affected drivers should consult their doctor.

For seniors who want to continue to actively participate in road traffic, the ADAC offers programs such as the “driving fitness check” and driving safety training. These help you optimize your own driving skills and ensure that older drivers maintain the necessary safety in traffic. A good knack for road safety could be crucial from a certain age. Against this background, it is clear that traffic and traffic safety education is of great importance for this target group.

Given the increasing number of older car drivers, it is important to pay attention to their driving experience. Safety comes first on the road, and this applies to all age groups.