Dangerous safety distance: How to save life on the highway!

Dangerous safety distance: How to save life on the highway!

In 2023, there were dramatic 1,000 rear-end collisions on the highways of Austria, which makes alarming 45 percent of all accidents in the ASFINAG network. Tragically, these accidents demanded the lives of 13 people. The main cause of these dangerous incidents is often at too low a safety distance, as the 5min.at . But distractions and incorrect speed ratings of the drivers also contribute to the dangers, since the response period is significantly reduced, especially when the vehicle is insufficient.

risk factor distance

The police have recognized the need to intensify the traffic controls, especially to monitor the safety distance. There are around 118,500 violations of these regulations every year. Anyone who carelessly fits too close must expect juicy punishments - up to 2,180 euros plus the risk of losing the driver's license. It is also critical that the ÖAMTC recommends keeping a distance of at least 70 meters at a speed of 130 km/h, which corresponds to about two seconds to have enough time for braking. The simple "two-second rule" could prevent many accidents.

In Germany, the accident statistics also show worrying developments: In 2023, the number of accidents with personal injury rose to 291,890, which corresponds to an increase of 0.7 percent compared to the previous year. The reason for these accidents is often human failure, with 12.9 percent of all accidents caused by inadequate safety distance. Young drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 in particular are often irresponsible here, since almost every sixth mistake represents a distance error, as lungvomgas.de reported.

These alarming statistics illustrate how important it is to always pay attention to the safety distance, especially on busy routes and in difficult conditions. The clarification of road users about these rules is crucial in order to finally ensure both their own security and that of the other road users.