ADAC - No traffic chaos at the start of the vacation - mild and rainy
As expected by the ADAC, there were no extraordinary delays in road traffic at the start of the Christmas vacations in North Rhine-Westphalia on Wednesday. "There is no traffic jam chaos," said an ADAC spokesperson late on Wednesday afternoon. Although there was a lot going on on the freeways, there was no particular increase in traffic volume or more traffic jams due to the start of the vacation.
Wednesday is generally a busy day in NRW, and commuters, Christmas vacationers and people on their way to visit family meet up at the start of the vacations, the ADAC had previously announced. However, the automobile club did not expect chaotic conditions on the roads - not even for the following days.
"Last year, there were even 20 percent fewer traffic jams on the Thursday and Friday before Christmas than on average," said ADAC traffic expert Prof. Roman Suthold.
The school vacations for the approximately 2.5 million schoolchildren in NRW begin on December 21. Many families start their vacation right after the last lesson on Wednesday.
They should not forget umbrellas and windbreakers, advises the German Weather Service DWD. Meteorologists are expecting rain on Wednesday, first to the east and then to the west of the Rhine. With relatively mild temperatures between 6 and 9 degrees, there will be moderate to fresh winds, with individual gusts of wind in the mountains. There will be no sign of a white pre-Christmas period.
Deutsche Bahn is preparing for the busy days around Christmas with 60 additional trains nationwide, which will run from Wednesday until January 1, especially on the particularly busy routes, according to a spokeswoman. In NRW, this includes the Cologne-Frankfurt-Stuttgart-Munich route. In total, an additional 35,000 seats will be available nationwide during the Christmas period.
In addition to North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Hamburg and Thuringia will also start their Christmas vacations from the middle of this week.
According to the ADAC, the routes into the city centers could become more crowded if the last presents are bought just before Christmas. "For a last-minute trip to buy presents or visit a Christmas market, public transport can be a good alternative to the car," the ADAC recommended.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there will probably be little traffic on the trunk roads in NRW. "On December 26, the risk of traffic jams will also be manageable despite some return traffic," predicted the association.
ADAC statement from 18.12. Weather
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- Despite the busy traffic in NRW on Wednesday, the ADAC reported no significant increase in traffic jams or traffic volume related to the start of the Christmas vacations.
- Many families from North Rhine-Westphalia began their vacations immediately after the last lesson on Wednesday, resulting in a high volume of traffic but no traffic chaos as predicted by the ADAC.
- According to the German Weather Service DWD, rain was expected in North Rhine-Westphalia on Wednesday, with temperatures between 6 and 9 degrees and moderate to fresh winds, making umbrellas and windbreakers a necessity for holiday travelers.
- Deutsche Bahn planned to operate 60 additional trains nationwide until January 1, with an additional 35,000 seats available on particularly busy routes, including the Cologne-Frankfurt-Stuttgart-Munich route in NRW.
- Other German states, such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, Hamburg, and Thuringia, would also start their Christmas vacations in the middle of the week.
- The ADAC recommended using public transportation for last-minute shopping or visiting Christmas markets to avoid traffic congestion in city centers and suggested that traffic on trunk roads would be minimal on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and manageable on December 26.
Source: www.stern.de
