Warning on rising German road deaths

According to preliminary results from the German Federal Statistics Office for January to June 2022, a total of 1,238 people were killed and 163,800 injured in road collisions in Germany.  The TÜV Association, an ETSC member, has warned that new measures will be needed to prevent road traffic deaths returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Marc-Philipp Waschke, road safety officer at the TÜV Association, said:

“Historically low crash figures were one of the few positive side effects of the pandemic. The crash figures for the first half of 2022 have risen significantly again compared to the two previous years and are approaching the pre-pandemic level. The figures clearly show that the pandemic has only had a short-term impact on crash occurrences in Germany and that there has been no significant reduction in road crashes over the past ten years.”

“Sustainable measures must now be initiated to protect vulnerable road users in particular, such as pedestrians and cyclists. The development of an infrastructure that prevents serious collisions, for example through safe crossing facilities and continuous cycle paths, must be consistently promoted in both urban and rural areas. Similarly, dangerous areas on rural roads, such as sharp bends and tree-lined, fast-moving avenues, must be tackled.”