Family accident on A1: Drunk driver seriously injures wife!

Family accident on A1: Drunk driver seriously injures wife!

Today there was a tragic traffic accident at the western entrance to Vienna-Hietzing. A father who was driving drunk caused a serious accident with his family on the Westautobahn (A1) in the direction of Vienna. During the critical weather conditions with heavy rain, the driver lost control of his vehicle, which then rolled over several times. As the courier reports, the man suffered minor injuries. Fortunately, his two children in the back seat were unharmed, while his wife in the passenger seat suffered serious head injuries and bruises.

The Vienna fire department was quickly on the scene to free the seriously injured passenger from the car. After receiving emergency medical care, she was transported to a trauma room. The significant damage to the vehicle cannot be overlooked. When the accident was recorded, the traffic accident squad found that the driver was drunk at around 0.9 per mille. This alcohol limit is more than worrying for road safety. A complaint has already been filed for negligent bodily harm in traffic and the driver's license has been provisionally revoked.

Road safety statistics

Drunk driving has fatal consequences because the effects of alcohol not only impair reaction times, but also risk assessment as well as vision and hearing. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were 15,146 traffic accidents with personal injuries due to the influence of alcohol in Germany in 2023, in which 211 people lost their lives. These frightening figures illustrate the risk that drunk driving poses. Christopher Frank, a road safety expert, calls for a voluntary ban on alcohol while driving in order to save over 200 lives every year.

With a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2 per mille, speeds and distances can be misjudged. At 0.5 per mille, the risk of accidents doubles compared to driving sober. The German Statutory Accident Insurance advocates that neither alcohol nor cannabis should have a right to exist in traffic. What is particularly alarming is that the consumption of medication in combination with alcohol can lead to unpredictable restrictions.

Education and prevention

The DGUV recommends awareness-raising measures in the workplace and in educational institutions to address the issues of road safety and alcohol consumption. A day of action, for example, can help raise awareness of the dangers. In Austria as well as in Germany, the social consensus should make it clear: alcohol consumption has no place on the road. According to the Road Traffic Act, driving with a blood alcohol content of up to 0.5 per mille is exempt from punishment as long as there are no signs of failure, but this legal regulation does not protect anyone from the devastating consequences of an accident.

The frightening statistics on alcohol-related traffic accidents require even more efforts to educate the population and make them aware of the dangers of drunk driving. A thought that should also cross many people's minds when they ask about their own driving safety. It becomes clear again and again: Drunk driving is a high risk.

The entire situation and the experience of these tragic events remind us to drive with a clear head. When your own safety and that of those around you is at stake, it is high time to act responsibly.

It remains to be hoped that such incidents can be avoided in the future. Sober readiness is the first step in the right direction.