Traffic accident commission: fewer accidents in the urban area again
At the May meeting of the Traffic Accident Commission, the Chemnitz Police Department presented the 2013 accident report for the city of Chemnitz. The positive trend of recent years has continued. 955 people were injured in 7,725 road accidents. That is 25 % fewer than in 2009.
Nine people were killed in the accident.
The main causes of accidents last year were
- Insufficient safety distance 15.8 %
- errors when turning/reversing 11.6 %
- Incorrect lane change 6.6 %
- Failure to give way5,9 %
- Turning error 5,2 %
- Faulty entry into flowing traffic 4.8 %
- Inappropriate speed 4.3 %
Based on the available accident data, 102 accident blackspots were reported to the accident commission. Focal points are, for example
- Zwickauer Straße/Reichsstraße
- Zwickauer Straße/Oberfrohnaer Straße
- Frankenberger Straße/Margaretenstraße
- Bernsdorfer Straße/Wartburgstraße
- Müllerstraße/Nordstraße
- Dresdner Straße/Fürstenstraße
- Südring/Helbersdorfer Straße
- Südring/Markersdorfer Straße
- Zschopauer Straße/Lutherstraße
The accident commission has already passed resolutions on short and long-term measures for 45 accident blackspots. These include traffic law, structural and regulatory measures.
In 2013, the Civil Engineering Department invested around 550,000 euros in measures to increase road safety in the city. Measures were taken at these locations, among others:
- Dresdner Straße/Fürstenstraße (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left turns from Dresdner Straße into Fürstenstraße - Frankenberger Straße/Margaretenstraße (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left-turn lanes on Frankenberger Straße - Thomas-Mann-Platz (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left turners on the approaches to Dresdner Straße and August-Bebel-Straße - Zschopauer Straße/Lutherstraße (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left turners on the two approaches to Zschopauer Straße - Bahnhofstraße/Annaberger Straße (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left turners from Bahnhofstraße into Annaberger Straße - Theaterstraße/Kaßbergauffahrt (traffic lights)
→ Continuous operation of the traffic lights - Leipziger Straße, towards the city centre after Wittgensdorfer Straße
→ Widening of the central island, which serves as a crossing aid for pedestrians - Hainstraße
→ At the junctions with Gießerstraße and Peterstraße, installation of stop signs in the waiting lanes, marking of stop lines and restricted areas - South ring road/Usti nad Labem street
→ Prohibition of left turns from Südring into Usti nad Labem street - Margaretenstraße between Frankenberger Straße and Hilbersdorfer Straße
→ Installation of stopping bans and bollards at pedestrian crossing points - Barbarossastrasse/Leonhardtstrasse
→ Installation of bollards on the new pavement projections to prevent illegal parking at pedestrian crossing points
For the work of the accident commission, it is not only important to decide on and implement measures, but also to check whether the expected effect has actually been achieved in specific cases. To this end, effectiveness tests are carried out in subsequent years to compare the number of accidents before and after the implementation of a measure.
In the first two meetings in 2014, the accident commission dealt with the following new accident blackspots, among others, and decided on measures:
- Leipziger Straße/exit petrol station (before Louis-Otto-Straße)
→ Installation of a stop sign at the exit - Zwickauer Straße/Barbarossastraße/Goethestraße
→ Increased illumination of the junction, immediate renewal of the markings - Zwickauer Straße/Oberfrohnaer Straße (traffic lights)
→ Lane signalling for left turners at the accident-prone access roads - Südring / Annaberger Straße slip road, direction Neefestraße
→ Installation of hazard signs on the Südring before the Annaberger Straße slip road (warning of traffic jams on Markersdorfer Straße, as rear-end collisions can occur, especially in tailbacks) - Zschopauer Straße/Pappelstraße/Liselotte-Herrmann-Straße
→ Removal of 2 green arrow signs - Weststraße/Kaßbergstraße
→ Installation of stop signs in the access roads on Kaßbergstraße that require waiting and extension of the no-stopping zones - Wilhelm-Raabe-Straße/Brüder-Grimm-Straße
→ Increased controls to enforce the stopping bans by the public order office
These will be included in the accident commission's catalogue of measures and implemented step by step according to priorities and the budget situation.
In recent years, there has been an increasing number of accidents in connection with existing green arrow signs at traffic lights. The VwV-StVO contains strict instructions for the use of green arrow signs. These instructions must be strictly observed. It is clearly stipulated that accidents at junctions with green arrows must be analysed regularly. In the event of an accumulation of accidents in which the green arrow was a factor in favour of accidents, the green arrow must be removed unless traffic improvements are possible.
For four years now, the green arrow signs have had to be removed at nine traffic lights in the city. Now, too, it would be necessary to remove them at other traffic lights (e.g. Zwickauer Straße/Ulmenstraße and Südring/Augustusburger Straße).
Accident investigations have shown that these traffic accidents are due to improper behaviour on the part of drivers. They did not observe the duty of care imposed on them in accordance with Section 37 of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO). This states that drivers must behave in such a way as to avoid obstructing or endangering other road users, in particular pedestrians and vehicles travelling in the permitted direction of traffic.
In order to avoid a decision to remove green arrow signs at these accident blackspots, the aim is to influence road users to change their behaviour. To this end, the traffic police inspectorate will be carrying out increased checks from July onwards to identify and punish offences against the existing requirement to stop at green arrows. Drivers who do not behave in accordance with the StVO at traffic lights with green arrows can expect a fine of between 70 euros and 150 euros and 3 points, depending on the type of offence (e.g. obstruction or endangerment). If this results in an accident, a fine of up to 180 euros may be imposed.