Snow - Winter weather causes accidents and traffic restrictions
The winter weather with snow and icy conditions caused traffic restrictions in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland at the start of the new week. The police headquarters recorded various accidents, although in most cases the damage was minor.
The situation on the roads
There was a particularly high number of accidents in the Mainz police headquarters area: between Monday afternoon and Monday afternoon, over 50 traffic accidents were recorded, according to the police. Two people reportedly suffered minor injuries. "The city of Mainz was affected, as were freeways, country roads and rural areas in Rheinhessen, Hunsrück and the Donnersberg district," it continued. Accidents had led to road closures. The towing services were so busy that some accident sites could not be cleared.
Towards the evening, the German Weather Service (DWD) warned of the risk of black ice due to rain. There could be freezing rain, especially in the south, it said. The Mainz police therefore recommended avoiding unnecessary journeys.
There had been around 25 accidents in the West Palatinate by early afternoon. Most of them were minor, said a police spokesman. In the area of the Trier police headquarters, there was a weather-related road closure in the area of Hermeskeil in the Hochwald, otherwise there were isolated accidents. In Idar-Oberstein on Wednesday, a 24-year-old man drove his car onto the oncoming lane on a snow-covered road and collided head-on with the car of an 81-year-old man. Both suffered minor injuries. In Saarland, the police recorded 25 snow-related incidents by the afternoon: These included stuck vehicles and minor accidents, according to a spokesperson.
Public transport and road and traffic service strikes
The winter weather caused cancellations and disruptions to bus services in many places, for example in the Rhine-Lahn district, the Westerwald district and Neuwied. Saarbahn buses were temporarily unable to travel to a number of high-altitude locations, as the company announced. In the districts of Mainz-Bingen and in the city and district of Bad Kreuznach, KRN bus services were completely suspended on Monday, according to the Mainz-Bingen district administration. School transport was also completely canceled in the afternoon - some buses were already on the road with children before the KRN asked them to stop for safety reasons. "The children will remain on the buses until they are picked up by their parents," it said.
Due to a warning strike, an emergency service was deployed by the Rhineland-Palatinate State Mobility Agency (LBM) on Monday. A spokeswoman said that six vehicles per road maintenance depot were on duty at all times, compared to eight normally. An emergency winter road maintenance service was also deployed on federal and state roads in Saarland.
Police statement Mainz Website Saarbahn Weather reports Bus traffic DWD warning report
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- Despite the traffic restrictions, some commuters in Saarland chose to drive, leading to several vehicle incidents reported by the local police.
- The Rhine River was not exempt from the snowy weather, causing minor accidents involving boats and vessels along its route in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
- The DWD's warning about rain and the risk of black ice led the Mainz police to urge caution and recommend postponing non-essential trips during the storm.
- In Rhineland-Palatinate, the local public transit system experienced delays and cancellations due to slippery tracks and treacherous road conditions.
- The German Federation for Motorways and Traffic (ADAC) reported a surge in emergency calls for help in both Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, attributing the increase to the challenging winter weather.
- Throughout the Hunsrück region, police reported traffic restriction due to snowfall and low visibility, causing significant delays for travelers heading to Mainz or Saarbrücken.
- Strikes among traffic and public service workers in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate affected the efficiency of snow removal efforts, making it difficult to clear roads and maintain smooth traffic flow.
- The sheer volume of stuck vehicles on rural roads prompted the local authorities in Saarland to offer tariff reductions for towing services to help alleviate the backlog.
- The Mainz-Bingen district administration suspended bus services during peak rush hours, recommending alternative modes of transportation such as using trains or private vehicles to avoid the gridlock.
- With snow forecasted to continue throughout the week, the German Weather Service (DWD) urged drivers to be extra cautious, especially at night and on untreated roads in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Source: www.stern.de
