The police will therefore increase surveillance in the coming days – in addition to main traffic routes, the focus will also be on accident-prone routes, popular excursion routes and local and leisure traffic, it was announced in a broadcast from the Ministry of the Interior.
The increased controls run from Saturday to Tuesday (June 7th). There will be specific priorities on motorcycle routes. The Ministry of the Interior also announced that it would take consistent action against speeders and drivers, alcohol and drug drivers. “The aim of the increased monitoring is to keep the number of accidents as low as possible and to bring about a lasting change in the behavior of road users towards more consideration and responsibility in road traffic,” emphasized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).
The broadcast also listed the equipment with which the police officers want to track down traffic offenders: 2,500 emergency vehicles, 350 motorcycles, around 100 civilian patrol vehicles with video tracking devices, 334 stationary and mobile radar devices, 15 section control systems, 1,247 laser speed measuring devices, eleven distance measuring systems, 1,385 alcohol and 1,429 alcohol pre-test devices, 60 drug pre-test devices, 86 moped test stands and 57 red light traffic monitoring systems at intersections (“traffic light radar”).
In 2021, on the Pentecost weekend from Friday up to and including Pentecost Monday, 343 people were injured in 277 traffic accidents with personal injury and a young female driver was killed. In 2020, two road users died. Nine people were fatally injured in 2019, eight in 2018, six in 2017, four in 2016 and nine in 2015. In the previous year, the absolute best result since the introduction of statistics in the Federal Ministry of the Interior (1967) was recorded with one fatality. In comparison, 45 deaths (1979) and 44 deaths (1984) had to be mourned on the Pentecost weekend in the worst years to date.
The police appealed to the personal responsibility of road users: “Be a partner and be considerate on the road on the road. In doing so, you are making the contribution to road safety that you are right to demand from others.” Speed and alcohol limits should be observed and drugs should be avoided. You should never drive beyond the conditions, because even small driving mistakes or a brief inattention can cause a serious accident. A safe distance from the vehicle in front is also important. No risk should be taken when overtaking.
Source: Nachrichten
