Now is the most dangerous time for pedestrians
traffic
In the autumn months, every second accident with personal injury occurs at dusk or in the dark. The busiest time now takes place in poor light conditions. The police and the ÖAMTC urgently advise you to make yourself visible.
Six fatal accidents with pedestrians occurred in Salzburg last year, five of them in the dark. Friedrich Schmidhuber, head of the Salzburg regional traffic department, said: “Many pedestrians underestimate how difficult it is to see them in the dark in the street. That makes it very dangerous. If you are a driver yourself, you might think about it even more. But especially older people who no longer participate in motorized traffic, often lack the experience. “
Dark clothing, lack of reflectors
The majority of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in the previous year were over 75 years old. Older people often wear darker clothing. However, reflectors can make it much more visible here, says Aloisia Gurtner, press spokeswoman for the ÖAMTC Salzburg: “If you consider that the driver of the vehicle cannot recognize pedestrians who are not wearing reflectors at least 25 meters in advance, then that is often not enough to still be able to react and brake. “
But if the pedestrian wears reflectors, this distance increases to at least 150 meters. There would be enough time here to react. Gurtner: “That is actually a huge safety advantage for the man without giving up.”
Cyclists check lighting
Cyclists too often forget to check their lights. Aloisia Gurtner, press spokeswoman for the ÖAMTC: “There are ribbons that reflect or you wear clothes with reflectors right away. It’s so easy to make yourself visible. ”The youngest road users can also be included as role models. In addition to colorful clothing, they often also wear reflectors and safety vests.
Regular control of the car lights
However, it is also important for drivers to be careful, for example by driving with foresight and regularly checking their lighting, says Friedrich Schmidhuber, Head of the Salzburg Regional Transport Department: “Large sums of money are often invested in trimmings and wider tires and any additional equipment in the car. But then, under certain circumstances, a headlight fails and you don’t recognize it for a long time, or you put yourself off. “