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Accident accumulation at the entrance to Oberammergau: the cause is puzzling - “smooching cars” as a warning

2021-06-19T20:15:16.834Z


The southern entrance to Oberammergau harbors potential hazards. At least accidents often happen there. Now there is a new attempt to prevent this.


The southern entrance to Oberammergau harbors potential hazards.

At least accidents often happen there.

Now there is a new attempt to prevent this.

Oberammergau - It crashed again. Again, numerous emergency services had to move out. And again it didn’t stop with property damage. In the collision last Friday at the southern Oberammergau entrance, a young woman suffered injuries, albeit fortunately only minor ones. Not a rare occurrence. Martin Kees, head of the local police station, does not yet speak of a hotspot, but of an accumulation at the junction. He cannot explain why there have been multiple clashes there in the past. A puzzle that not only he is faced with.

It was only in May that the Accident Commission - it consists of representatives from the District Office, the Weilheim State Building Authority and the police - inspected the neuralgic point.

To find out and analyze what caused the accidents.

And to find solutions to prevent them.

“We'll see to it that we can sort it out,” emphasizes Kees.

Easier said than done when you don't know the heart of the problem.

If it were a straightforward thing, the problem would be solved.

Nadine Heiß from the Weilheim State Building Authority

Those responsible can only speculate about the cause. "Unfortunately, no meaningful answer can currently be given," said Wolfgang Rotzsche, spokesman for the district office, the traffic authority, when asked by the daily newspaper. Nadine Heiß, responsible department head at the Weilheim State Building Authority, also does not see a clear accident pattern on the “actually clearly visible intersection”, but points out that road users should behave “depending on the situation”. “If everyone drove as it is signposted, it would not be a problem,” she says. That means nothing else than that too many press too hard on the accelerator. Kees advocates his own theory and speaks of a “confusion effect”. According to this, people who turn left onto Bundesstraße 23 towards the south wouldmistakenly perceive the oncoming traffic from there as turning into the village. Pure conjecture, but emphasizes Kees. "If it were a straightforward matter," he also makes clear, "the problem would have been resolved."

A structural solution devours a lot of money and is subject to legal hurdles

You have already reacted to the situation. The speed limit was reduced to 70 kilometers per hour and a privacy screen was installed. It is intended to prevent road users from being tempted to turn into the main road without stopping at the intersection. “That has proven itself in many places,” underlines Heiß. After the accident on Friday, albeit independently of it, new signs also indicate the risk of accidents in the area. The pictogram of “smooching cars”, as the department head describes the crashing cars, can be found on yellow carrier boards. “That's something special,” she adds. And a result from the inspection of the accident commission. To make road users aware of the neuralgic point. Whoever rushes in from the south will already see a specimen.However, the signs should be attached on both sides.

It's another attempt. With no guarantee of success that everyone hopes for. Either way, the commission will stay on the ball, says Heiß. Mayor Andreas Rödl (CSU) is also thinking about structural changes such as a roundabout or a crossroads connection and would like to discuss them openly. The Commission has already discussed this as well. However, these must be carefully checked and are subject to legal hurdles. At the same time, they cost a “pig's money”, says Kees. "We can only get through that with a certain number of accidents." And the cause must first be clearly clarified, added Heiß. Otherwise, in the worst case scenario, you will invest in something with no effect.In the neighboring district of Weilheim-Schongau, however, there is a similar focal point - at the T-junction between Schongau and Altenstadt. There, too, crashes occur again and again when turning. Inexplicable because it is visible. The B 17 is now to receive entrances and exits on both sides. Hot is not familiar with the situation there, but emphasizes that comparisons on this topic are difficult.

The contact between the police, the building authority and the district administration did not break off. "Every time it cracks, our emails smoke," says Kees. The participants exchange ideas, discuss with each other and decide together on further steps. “Nobody is against that,” says Heiss. It would only be easier if the mystery of the causes of the accident were solved.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-06-19

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