Traffic Troubles in Saxony-Anhalt: A Mixed Picture for 2024
Increased road incidents resulting in reduced severe injuries and fatalities. - Increased road accidents resulting in fewer severe casualties
Cruising down the highways of Saxony-Anhalt might seem all smooth sailing, but the statistics for 2024 paint a more nuanced picture. Last year saw a slight uptick in traffic accidents compared to 2023, with 71,054 reported incidents. But here's the silver lining - the death toll plummeted by a substantial 19%, with only 111 individuals losing their lives on the roads, according to the Police Traffic Accident Balance 2024. And get this - it's been the lowest number of fatalities and seriously injured since 1992, the official start of statistical recording!
Now, I know what you're thinking - more accidents, yet fewer fatalities? What gives? Let's dive into the details: 9,969 individuals were involved in accidents in total, a mere 1% increase. Whoa, buckle up, because things are getting interesting!
The highway traffic scenario remained somewhat steady at around 4,500 accidents. Sadly, the death toll rose slightly, with 30 reported fatalities compared to 26 in 2023. On the brighter side, the number of seriously injured individuals increased only slightly, from 189 to 191. However, the real head-turner here is the surge in severe accidents at traffic jams - the number nearly doubled! In 2023, there were 73 such accidents, and in 2024, that figure skyrocketed to a staggering 133. The common denominator in every case? Insufficient safety distance maintained by drivers.
Traveling down memory lane proves illuminating: "Wild on the road" has been the main culprit behind accidents in Saxony-Anhalt for nine glorious years on the trot. In 2024, wildlife was involved in every fifth accident - a whopping 14,615 wildlife accidents! That represents a 7% increase from the previous year. Thankfully, most of these cases resulted only in property damage, which is usually less severe than human casualties.
Now, buckle up, because things get tricky with errors during turning and reversing ranking second at 8,074 cases, and insufficient distance landing in third place with 6,527 incidents.
As if this wasn't enough to challenge our love for the open road, alcohol and drugs played a more significant role in traffic accidents in Saxony-Anhalt in 2024. This unfortunate trend resulted in 1,339 accidents involving intoxicating substances, a 7% increase! Nearly 700 individuals were injured in these accidents, and it's disheartening to report that significantly more people died under the influence of these substances: a shocking 15 fatalities took place in 2024, 7 more than in the previous year.
But all is not lost! The Minister of the Interior, Tamara Zieschang (CDU), has made it crystal clear - substance-impaired driving is an alarming development that needs immediate attention. "Anyone who drives under the influence of alcohol or drugs not only endangers themselves, but the lives of others. The state police will continue to maintain their controls and consistently enforce violations," she emphasized.
Sadly, pedestrian fatalities didn't take a downturn - they remained roughly at the previous year's level in 2024. In 927 accidents involving pedestrians, 659 pedestrians were injured. However, significantly fewer people died: after a record high of 20 pedestrian fatalities in 2023, the count dropped to only 7 in 2024. Roughly 40% of the pedestrians who died were people aged 65 and over.
Before we say goodbye, it's worth mentioning a concerning increase in cyclist fatalities - the number rose by 2 in a year, reaching 13 in 2024. Shockingly, half of those killed were not wearing helmets. Yet, the total number of cycling accidents didn't see a proportional rise - 2,682 cycling accidents in 2023 and 2,711 in 2024.
The increasing popularity of e-bikes is evident from the rise in e-bike accidents, with 346 accidents involving these vehicles in 2024, up from 276 in 2023. The resulting injuries are nothing to sneeze at, with 286 people hurt, a 27% increase from the previous year. Tragically, three people died on the state's roads, but let's focus on learning and improving to minimize those losses in the future.
Lastly, watch out for bigger rigs - the police recorded a significant 19% increase in truck accidents in 2024, with an alarming total of 11,330 accidents compared to 9,513 in 2023. Three-quarters of all truck accidents were caused by large vehicles. The tragedy is that 41 people lost their lives in truck accidents - 17 in trucks, 19 in cars, 3 pedestrians, 1 cyclist, and 1 e-bike user. The uptick in truck accidents is mainly attributed to a sharp rise in accidents involving vehicles for goods transport up to 3.5 tonnes, which are used by logistics companies, parcel services, and tradespeople.
In short, it's fascinating (and terrifying) to see the ebb and flow of traffic accidents in Saxony-Anhalt. Stay safe out there, folks. Let's work together to make our roads safer!
- The Minister of the Interior, Tamara Zieschang, emphasized the need for immediate action against substance-impaired driving, stating that it endangers not only the individuals themselves but the lives of others.
- In 2024, 111 fatalities were reported in traffic accidents, marking the lowest number of fatalities and seriously injured since 1992.
- encouragingly, the number of fatalities decreased by 19% compared to 2023, while the total number of accidents increased by only 1%.
- A notable increase was observed in severe accidents at traffic jams, with the figure nearly doubling compared to the previous year.
- Pedestrian fatalities remained relatively stable in 2024, with 7 fatalities, down from 20 in 2023.
- The number of cyclist fatalities increased by 2 in 2024, reaching 13, with half of those killed not wearing helmets.
