Slippery roads cause several traffic accidents in the north

Slippery Wrecks on Northern Roads

Saturday night and Sunday morning saw a series of traffic mishaps on the roads of Schleswig-Holstein, attributed largely to slick surfaces. In Wacken, Steinburg district, a tragic incident left one individual severely wounded and another with minor injuries. The duo was involved in a car crash, instigated by slippery roads and reckless speed, as reported by local authorities.

Mere hours later, a vehicle lost its grip on the B 199 federal highway connecting Handewitt and Unaften, tumbling onto its driver's side, thanks to the icy conditions. The unfortunate occupants endured only minor wounds and were subsequently transported to a hospital. The Schleswig-Holsteinische Zeitungsverlag had earlier reported on both incidents. The frequency of accidents in the city of Flensburg and its district on Saturday was staggering, with a total of 23 incidents attributable to icy roads. These incidents were primarily minor fender benders.

Numerous traffic disruptions occurred as a result of the numerous accidents caused by slippery roads during the aforementioned period. In a chilling sequel, another car, battling the icy conditions, found itself skidding on the B 199 highway, ultimately tipping onto its side, resulting in minor injuries for the driver and passenger.

The root of these perilous situations traces back to a melange of offenders:

1. Heavy Snowfall: The region experienced heavy snowfall, coating the roads and generating unstable surfaces[1].
2. Icy Weather: The persistent icy climate further aggravated the road conditions, augmenting the risk of deterrent incidents[1].
3. Public Service Strikes: The occurrence of strikes within multiple cities and districts in Germany, including Schleswig-Holstein, led to a scarcity of road safety employees. Consequently, the streets were left untreated, thereby worsening the slipperiness of the roads[1].
4. Compulsory Winter Tires: Despite the empirical necessity of winter tires on German roads, the preparation of many motorists for these extreme weather conditions was insufficient, culminating in a disproportionate number of accidents[1].

Together, these offenders resulted in a worryingly high number of snow and ice-related traffic accidents in Schleswig-Holstein over the aforementioned weekend.

[1] Enrichment Data.