80-year-old as a ghost driver: 25 kilometers in the wrong direction!

80-year-old as a ghost driver: 25 kilometers in the wrong direction!

In the night of Saturday, an 80-year-old caused a spectacular ghost trip on the West Autobahn (A1) in the Vöcklabruck district. The senior was in the wrong direction over 25 kilometers before the police finally stopped. Despite an accident during his trip, the pensioner continued his journey, which led to numerous dangerous evasive maneuvers by other road users. Several drivers informed the police call because they were in dangerous situations that could have had a collision. Another car could not avoid an impact and collided with the ghost driver, but fortunately both the 80-year-old and the 54-year-old driver of the other car remained unharmed.

According to the police reports, the senior driver had overlooked a descent, turned to Regau and then returned to the motorway in the wrong direction of travel. The 80-year-old was confused when the officials were surveyed and could not explain why he was traveling as a ghost driver. A complaint was filed against him, since such incidents are not only dangerous, but also illegal. This ghost trip is not the first time that such events take place in this area. According to the Ö3 ghost driver statistics, the A1 counts as a particularly affected area, with three accompanies already documented this year in the Upper Austrian section.

background to the risk of older drivers

The incident is also highlighting a widespread problem in road traffic: older drivers are disproportionately often involved in ghost trips. This is caused by age -related cognitive restrictions and declining responsiveness and eyesight, as experts report. Traffic experts and accident statistics show that people aged 65 and over have 18.5 percent of accidents with personal injury, while their population is only 22 percent. Over 50 percent of the fatally crashed pedestrians can be found in this age group, and almost 70 percent of pedelec users who have been fatal are seniors.

The discussion about the security of older drivers leads to recommendations for regular medical checks to ensure driving ability. While stricter medical controls for drivers from the age of 70 have already been introduced in several EU countries, there is still a need for action in Austria. Traffic psychologists also propose to consider regular binding exercise tests from a certain age and to launch sensitization campaigns for traffic safety.

recommendations for older road users

Although it is not appropriate to put all older drivers under general suspicion, it is crucial to take preventive measures in order to raise awareness of the dangers in road traffic. Because independence and mobility are of great importance for many older people and make a decisive contribution to their quality of life. The incident with the 80-year-old is another wake-up call to think about traffic safety and take appropriate measures.