Serious traffic accident on the A1: Rettunggasse ignored!

Serious traffic accident on the A1: Rettunggasse ignored!

on Tuesday evening, January 28, 2025, the Burscheid volunteer fire brigade was alerted to a traffic accident on the A1 motorway in the direction of Dortmund at 7:44 p.m. The accident occurred between the Burscheid and Wermelskirchen junction. The traffic was already backed up on the way. The emergency services found two badly damaged vehicles on site: a car and a small van. The cause of the traffic jam was later investigated because the van had risen on a standing car. What prompted the car to be on the right lane remained unclear.

Due to the severity of the accident, the highway was immediately locked because the site extended over several lanes. However, road users ignored the formation of a rescue alley, which significantly delayed the arrival of the emergency services. An ambulance could not move forward at times, which lost valuable time. The two drivers were looked after by the first emergency services on site and then handed over to the emergency services. One of the drivers suffered serious injuries, which is why another ambulance and an emergency doctor had to be alerted.

challenges for the emergency services

In order to carry out the rescue faster, the emergency services decided to drive up on the highway. In the meantime, the fire brigade provided fire protection and illuminated the scene of the accident. Furthermore, expiring operating materials were scattered. After about an hour, the site was handed over to the police. The seriously injured driver was immediately transported to a hospital, while the other driver refused to get along.

The police have taken over the investigation to clarify the exact circumstances of the accident. Press spokesman Jens Knipper, concerned, commented on the repeated problem that road users do not form a emergency alley. This not only represents a danger to the injured, but also hinders the work of the rescue workers.

Statistical perspective on traffic accidents

statistics show a slight increase in traffic accidents in Germany. In 2022, 2,406,465 accidents were recorded, compared to 2,314,938 accidents in 2021 and 2,245.245 in 2022. In 2022, the traffic accident statistics complained 289,672 accidents with personal injury, which resulted in 2,788 fatalities. These important data are the basis for measures in legislation, traffic education as well as in road construction and in vehicle technology. They enable a more precise analysis of the causes of the accident and an accident, which means that targeted measures to improve traffic safety can be developed. Destatis provides comprehensive information and analyzes on this topic.

The Burscheid fire brigade has repeatedly pointed out the inadequate formation of emergency lines in the past. An incident from 2022, in which no rescue alley was also formed, underlines the urgency of this problem. On the current accident day, the repeated ignorance of road users draws attention to the need to act in a solution -oriented manner in view of the increasing number of accidents and the dangers for the emergency services. The fire brigade has announced that relevant missions in the future have to communicate more comprehensively via their social media channels in order to create more awareness of such critical situations.