Serious accident in Berndorf: woman cannot give location!

Serious accident in Berndorf: woman cannot give location!

On the night of May 20, 2025, the police were called to a serious traffic accident in Berndorf, Lower Austria, at 2:55 a.m. A 39-year-old driver from the Baden district had suffered an accident, but could not give her exact location, only saying that she was in Berndorf. While she was in contact with the rescue control center, the police initially searched for her in the area without success.

The driver reported that she had driven from the direction of Hernstein towards Veitsau and was now lying in a field. Based on this information, the search was intensified and a second police patrol and a helicopter (Libelle Alpha) were called in. An off-duty police officer finally discovered a skid mark on LB 212 that led into the oncoming lane and into the shoulder.

Course of the accident and rescue measures

At around 4 a.m., the crashed vehicle was found lying on its driver's side in a bush, although it was not visible from the road. The seriously injured driver suffered particularly serious leg injuries and was given initial care by the rescue workers on site before she was taken to the Baden State Hospital. Interestingly, she refused to take a breathalyzer test, which complicated the investigation. The relevant authorities have been informed of the accident.

Accidents in which alcohol plays a role are a recurring problem on the road. The VCÖ also reports that alcohol-related traffic accidents are predominantly caused by men. According to an analysis, men not only cause twice as many personal injury traffic accidents as women, but also three and a half times as many fatal accidents. This trend is particularly pronounced in the 15 to 24 age group, where four and a half times as many young men as young women die in road traffic.

Comparison of genders in traffic

In the period from 2021 to the end of November 2024, 398 women and 1,105 men died in traffic accidents in Austria. This shows a clear discrepancy between the genders. Car use is significantly higher among men, which influences the number of accidents. Men are much more likely to be caught driving drunk. Around 85 percent of drunk drivers involved in accidents were men.

These statistics make it clear that the mobility behavior of men and women in road traffic is different. While women have similar travel habits - they often walk and drive cars or motorcycles less often - the dangers of drunken consumption and excessive speed increase enormously for male drivers.