Road congestion - In Saxony, parking infringements are causing an issue by obstructing rescue routes.
In Saxony, parked cars have become a growing obstacle for rescue services. The city of Leipzig reported that last year, 509 vehicles were towed away due to blockage of fire department access roads and escape routes, which is 177 more than two years ago. This does not include instances where rescue lanes weren't cleared at events. Chemnitz saw 90 cars towed away last year - 20 more than the previous year - with 23 such cases up to mid-May in 2023.
"Fire departments are larger than regular cars, so they need more space to operate," explains Gunnar Ullmann, Vice President of the Saxony State Fire Brigade Association. For emergency vehicles to pass through, they require at least a 3.05-meter-wide path. Large vehicles like turntable ladders need more room to navigate on sharp turns or tight driveways. Incorrect parking could potentially cause issues not only in cities, but also on rural roads with limited space.
Despite the challenges posed by this issue, Ullmann assures that the emergency services typically find a way around the illegally parked cars. But, he emphasizes, it's crucial to educate people about the importance of maintaining clear escape routes.
The fire department in Dresden encounters this issue frequently. "This happens all the time in a big city," notes Michael Klahre, a spokesperson for the Dresden Fire Brigade. He considers it "not a big problem" because the emergency services typically find alternative routes. The city also confirms that cases where vehicles have to be towed away during a fire department operation are rare. "When the fire and rescue services are called upon, they are trained to act quickly and find alternative solutions if necessary," says Klahre. Towing affected vehicles can take considerably longer than the operations themselves. No statistical records of such incidents are available.
Leipzig City Council Leipzig City Dresden City Chemnitz State Fire Brigade Association of Saxony Dresden Fire Brigade City of Dresden
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Source: www.stern.de