Rescue alley

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An ambulance drives along an emergency lane on the BAB 659
A patrol car drives through an emergency lane on the BAB 3 near Erkrath

Rettungsgasse has become a permanent term in the German language, which is officially referred to as a free alley in the German road traffic regulations , and in the Austrian road traffic regulations since 2012 also as a rescue alley . This means the route to be created by the road users for rescue workers in the event of a traffic jam or a flow of traffic at walking speed on multi-lane one- way lanes . It must be sufficiently wide for every traffic jam - even for large fire engines , recovery vehicles or, depending on the weather, also for wider road service vehicles, for example with a snow plow - regardless of whether rescue workers are approaching or not. If there are more than two lanes (in Germany and Austria), the emergency lane must be formed between the leftmost lane and its neighboring lane.

Efficiency

The rescue alley can save lives in serious accidents. The fact that the emergency services reach the scene of the accident more quickly increases the chance of survival of the life-threatening injured person. Corresponding leaflets say that an arrival of the rescue workers four minutes faster increases the chance of survival by up to 40%. In addition, the quicker the emergency services are on site, the faster the emergency site could be cleared, which means that road users can continue their journey earlier.

An Austrian study that was carried out about two years after its introduction, on the other hand, found “no significant time savings” when traveling to the deployment site. "A total of 76 survey logs were filled out by the emergency services of the Lower Austrian fire brigades, whereby in half (50%) of these documented missions the functioning of the emergency corridor was rated as" very good "or" good "and in the other half as" rather bad "or "very bad". Basically, the formation of the rescue lane worked better on two-lane motorways and expressways than on three- or four-lane sections of the route ”.

term

It is not known who gave the term rescue alley its name . In the past, before the word street was widespread in the German language, ways in a place were called Gassen (Got. Gatvô ; Latvian: gatwa = way between two fences, passage; English gate = gate, way, Danish gat , hole ), while the road was only used by the traffic routes between two places. At present, however, “alleys” are only understood to mean the smaller and narrower paths between the houses, while the longer and wider are called “streets”. “Alleys” as street names are still widespread, especially in Austria.

The lemma “Gasse” appears for the first time in Germany in Section 18 (9) of the StVO from 1971, where it says, “If the traffic on motorways or motorways stops, the vehicles for the passage of police and emergency vehicles must be in the middle of the road Form a free lane ".

The lexeme “Gasse” in the determinative compound “Rettungsgasse” suggests a rather narrow path, but broad fire engines must be able to pass if necessary .

Rescue alley in Germany

Notes on the formation of the rescue lane in areas at risk of congestion.

In traffic situations that lead to a backlog, the road users in the left lane have to steer their vehicles completely to the left edge of the lane. Road users in the right-hand lane have to steer their vehicles all the way to the right-hand edge of the lane; Strictly speaking, the hard shoulder (if any) does not belong to the carriageway and is therefore not to be used, see below . This creates a lane reserved for emergency vehicles between the two vehicle columns. If there are several lanes, the emergency lane is always to the right of the leftmost lane. (Before December 14, 2016, the emergency lane had to be formed in the middle with four lanes.)

Regulation since 2016

The rescue lane is regulated in Section 11, Paragraph 2 (StVO). Since December 14, 2016, this has been:

"As soon as vehicles drive at walking speed on motorways and on extra-urban roads with at least two lanes for one direction or the vehicles are at a standstill, these vehicles have to be used for the passage of police and emergency vehicles between the extreme left and the lane immediately to the right In the direction of a free alley. "

- § 11 Abs. 2 StVO 2016

scope

The regulation therefore does not generally apply to multi-lane motorways Sign 331 - Motorway (600x600); StVO 1992.svg (colloquially expressways ). Roads out of town are colloquially country roads , i.e. roads outside a built -up area . There is no obligation to create a rescue lane on multi-lane motorways within the city.

A vehicle with right of way uses a flashing light and a siren to order to clear the way immediately.

  • Creation of a rescue alley in Germany

  • Rescue alley is formed

  • Rescue lane with two lanes

  • Emergency lane with three lanes

  • Rescue alley with four lanes

  • Rescue lane when driving on the hard shoulder is permitted by sign 223.1

Exemplary rescue alley
Rescue lane between two lanes on the BAB 66 with unauthorized use of the hard shoulder, with disabilities from open vehicle doors and pedestrians in the rescue lane
No adequate rescue lane due to trucks in the middle lane, pedestrians, open vehicle doors and insufficient maneuvering distance between the vehicles.

Hard shoulder

According to Section 2 of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), the hard shoulder is not part of the lane and must therefore not be used regularly. The continuous lane boundary line to the hard shoulder may only be crossed in extreme exceptional cases , at walking speed and with a correspondingly careful driving style , if this is the only way to create a sufficiently wide rescue lane . The hard shoulder, on the other hand, may be used if it has been cleared Sign 223.1-50.svgfor regular use by traffic sign 223.1 or if the vehicles are directed there by the police.

In numerous publications, even by the German Road Safety Council, general use of the hard shoulder when creating a rescue lane is called for, but this is not covered by the road traffic regulations, as has also been confirmed by the higher courts.

"If a police emergency vehicle that has been called into a traffic accident on a federal motorway uses the hard shoulder, the use of the hard shoulder is covered by the special law of Section 35 (1) of the StVO, without it being important whether emergency lanes have already formed in the meantime to have. If a car collides, when changing from the middle to the right lane of a freeway over the boundary line onto the hard shoulder, with a police emergency vehicle driving there at moderate speed (here: 45–50 km / h) with blue lights the car changing lanes for the accident alone. "

- Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, judgment v. March 14, 2016 - 1 U 248/13

It follows that emergency vehicles are not obliged to use the rescue lane. You can also use the hard shoulder, even if a rescue lane has already formed.

However, emergency services are reluctant to use the hard shoulder, and only on short, manageable sections between the driveway and the emergency site. If, unexpectedly, but legitimately, a broken-down vehicle is found in the hard shoulder, the emergency vehicle is confronted to the left with a kilometer-long column of trucks driven close together, between which space for a lane change would first have to be created by maneuvering a dozen trucks, or it would take a long drive in reverse.

Walking pace

The amendment to Section 11 (2) StVO has changed the previously applicable regulation, according to which an emergency lane had to be formed in the event of “slow traffic” (a legal term that is not defined in Germany) to “walking pace”. The walking speed is not precisely defined in the road traffic regulations. In general, this means speeds of up to 10 km / h.

The walking speed is in Germany for various judgments, the Oberlandesgerichte Brandenburg (ref. 1 Ss (OWi) 86 B / 05 ), Cologne (Az. VRS 68, 382 ) and Karlsruhe ( 1 Ss 159/03 ) hours at a maximum of 7 km /. In Hentschel's comment on traffic law, it says that values ​​below 10 km / h “cannot be reliably measured using a speedometer”. Furthermore, walking pace should be understood to mean a speed that would be well below 20 km / h.

The Austrian Supreme Court sets walking speed at 5 km / h.

In Switzerland , there is a traffic jam when road traffic flows at less than 10 km / h for at least one minute. If the speed is in the range between 10 and 30 km / h, one speaks of slow traffic.

In slow-moving or slow-moving traffic, road users should be prepared for the formation of an emergency lane.

Explanation of the regulation on walking pace

In the Federal Council's explanatory memorandum of September 22, 2017, it says, “According to Section 11 (2) StVO, the rescue lane should only be formed when the vehicle is stationary or at walking pace. Walking speeds of up to 7 km / h are usually regarded as walking pace. The mere tightening of the penalties for violations of the formation of the rescue lane would mean that road users who block emergency vehicles would only have to reckon with a significantly reduced penalty if this limit speed was exceeded slightly. ”Therefore, at the same time, the penalty was reduced to one general obstruction of emergency vehicles extended, even if the walking speed is exceeded. “An alignment would also release the emergency vehicles that report or track blocking vehicles from making determinations about their speed. Both regulations serve the same purpose, namely to enable emergency services to reach the site quickly ”. The purpose of this regulation is that the obstruction of emergency vehicles in the event of a traffic jam, whatever the definition - whether at a standstill, walking pace or even more - is sufficient as a sanctioning reason for not creating an emergency lane. The Federal Council explains: "If no clear path is created, emergency vehicles will always be hindered."

Sanctions

With the entry into force of the ordinance on April 28, 2020, anyone who does not properly form the rescue lane at walking speed or when the vehicles are at a standstill commits an administrative offense ( Section 49 (1) No. 11 of the Road Traffic Regulations) and

  • must start with a fine amount of 200 euros ( no. of the system 50 to BKatV ) plus 2 points in the fitness to drive register ( no. 2.2.5a of the system 13 of FeV ) plus one month ban (no. 50 of the plant for BKatV) count,
  • in the event of disability: fine of 240 euros plus 1 month driving ban (No. 50.1 of the appendix to the BKatV),
  • at risk: fine of 280 euros plus 1 month driving ban (No. 50.2 of the appendix to the BKatV),
  • with property damage: fine of 320 euros plus 1 month driving ban (No. 50.2 of the appendix to the BKatV).

In essence, this has been in force since 2017, the driving ban for violations without disabilities has only been in force since 2020. In its approval of the 2017 amendment, the Federal Council tied the condition that the fines for violations of the obligation to immediately clear the way when the lights flash or horn are used, also to raise. Otherwise there would be a conflict of values. Both violations are equally difficult to assess and must therefore be punished equally.

In the case of serious disabilities, criminal prosecution as a traffic offense according to Section 315c of the Criminal Code ('endangering road traffic') may be added. B. for the deliberate blocking of a rescue alley or the deliberate not driving aside with flashing lights and siren or the hindrance of people who want to provide help in accidents according to § 323c StGB.

With the promulgation of the fifty-third ordinance amending road traffic regulations , the amendments came into force on October 19, 2017 ( Art. 5 of the ordinance).

Up to this point in time, the warning fee was 20 euros ( no. 50 of the annex to the BKatV) if no rescue corridor was established. Points in the register of fitness to drive were not provided.

With the entry into force of the ordinance on April 28, 2020, anyone who uses the rescue alley without authorization must pay a fine of 240 euros ( No. 50a of the appendix to the BKatV ) plus 2 points in the register of fitness to drive ( No. 2.2.5b of Appendix 13 der FeV ) plus 1 month driving ban (no. 50a of the appendix to the BKatV) (280 euros in the case of disabilities, 300 euros with danger, 320 euros with damage to property).

Hardship cases

Cases of hardship can be countered within the scope of the principle of opportunity . The opportunity principle is regulated in the relevant state laws. The prosecution of offenses ( summary proceedings ) is at the due discretion of the prosecuting authority. As long as the proceedings are pending, she can drop them. ( Section 47 OWiG). The police take their measures according to their best judgment. If, for example, a driver of a vehicle is hindered in such a way that it is simply not possible for him to create an emergency lane, the police can refrain from prosecuting him.

Sufficient width of the lane

Narrow lane width with two lanes for the passage of emergency vehicles
Rescue alley: lane width with three lanes, the right lane is wider

With every traffic jam or with a flow of traffic at walking pace, an emergency lane of sufficient width - even for large fire engines - must be created, regardless of whether the emergency services are approaching or not. The smaller the distance to the left and right vehicle, the slower the fire engine may have to drive to the scene of action. According to guidelines for the construction of motorways , widths of 3.5 m to 3.75 m apply. A fire engine is between 2.30 m and 2.55 m wide (not including exterior mirrors). This means that there is only a distance of about 30 cm from standing cars left and right in an - exemplary formed - rescue lane during the passage. A single bottleneck - whether due to a vehicle that has not evaded sufficiently, people who have got out or an open vehicle door - may force the emergency vehicle to brake or even to stop. The vehicle must be aligned parallel to the road, because a protruding rear can also make the emergency lane impassable. A truck in the right-hand lane reduces the distance between a fire engine on the left and right to around 10 cm in an equally exemplary rescue alley. It is therefore unavoidable for the trucks to use the hard shoulder to enable the fire engine to pass through. On three-lane motorways, trucks, buses and caravans make it much more difficult to create an emergency lane in the middle lane and should therefore switch to the right-hand lanes, which are 3.75 m wide - instead of 3.5 m - on the most heavily loaded motorway sections with a high proportion of trucks .

Offset driving

It has become common practice that vehicles staggered in traffic jams in order to be able to observe the vehicle after that. However, the shifted driving must not lead to the narrowing of the emergency lane.

Keeping the emergency lane open

Even after a first emergency vehicle has passed, the rescue lane must continue to be kept open as long as the traffic jam or the traffic advancing at walking pace continues, as other emergency and rescue vehicles often follow. These include the police, fire brigade, ambulance and ambulance. In particular, post-alarmed personnel, such as units of the technical relief organization , vehicles without a “flashing blue light”, such as towing and recovery services, experts or funeral directors, can follow. In the case of the volunteer fire brigade , the fire brigade generally does not move out together, so that further fire engines can be expected after the command vehicle has passed through.

Wrong driver in the rescue alley

Wrong drivers were observed more and more frequently in the emergency lane who used the emergency lane to avoid the traffic jam by driving in the emergency lane against the direction of travel. These road users face severe fines.

  • Turning on the autobahn or motor vehicle, driving backwards or in the opposite direction of travel and thereby endangering the life or limb of another person or property of significant value - imprisonment of up to five years or a fine (Section 315c StGB).
  • Driving in the opposite direction of travel on the entry or exit of a motorway / motor vehicle - 75 euros - 1 point
    • ... at risk - 90 euros - 1 point
    • ... resulting in an accident - 110 euros - 1 point
  • Driving in the side lane / hard shoulder on the motorway / motor vehicle against the direction of travel - 130 euros - 1 point
    • ... at risk - 160 euros - 1 point
    • ... resulting in an accident - 190 euros - 1 point
  • Driving in the opposite direction of travel on a continuous lane of the autobahn / motor vehicle - 200 euros - 1 point - 1 month driving ban
    • ... with risk - 240 euros - 2 points - 1 month driving ban
    • ... resulting in an accident - 290 euros - 2 points - 1 month driving ban
  • Improper behavior in the emergency lane

  • Wrong driver in the rescue alley

  • Driving after emergency vehicles in the rescue alley is prohibited

  • Overtaking is also prohibited for motorcycles in traffic

  • Unwanted lane changes in a traffic jam

No overtaking in the rescue lane

Road traffic is also endangered by so-called column jumpers - including motorcyclists - who use the rescue lane to overtake . You have to expect to be reported by the emergency services or other road users. The Federal Court of Justice decided in 1968 that the ban on overtaking on motorways applies to all road users - with a few exceptions.

“It is stipulated that it is fundamentally not allowed to overtake on the right on motorways. This also applies in the event that there is a column in the passing lane and only individual vehicles on the right. Exceptions can only be made if there is a line of traffic in both lanes; when the column driving in the fast lane has come to a standstill. Then the vehicles traveling on the standard gauge may drive up with extreme caution and at a speed of no more than 20 km / h; if the column on the left only travels at a maximum speed of 60 km / h. But even then you may only drive up on the standard gauge with extreme caution and at an additional speed of no more than 20 km / h. "

- Decision of the BGH of May 3, 1968 - 4 StR 242/67 -, BGHSt 22, 137-144,

Several higher courts have ruled that overtaking motorcycles in traffic jams is prohibited.

"A motorcyclist who drives forward on the motorway in a traffic jam between two slow-moving and temporarily stationary columns of vehicles is overtaking on the right without permission."

- Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, decision of April 30, 1990 - 5 Ss (OWi) 151/90 - (OWi) 77/90 I juris

"If a motorcyclist drives forward in a traffic jam between the columns of vehicles waiting to continue, he will overtake in violation of the prohibition."

- OLG Stuttgart, decision of June 6, 1979 - 3 Ss (8) 60/79

“It is forbidden for motorcyclists to overtake on the right between slowly moving or waiting columns of vehicles on the autobahn. A motorcyclist who drives through a traffic jam between stationary or still moving vehicles on a federal motorway has to reckon with careless behavior from stationary road users. "

- OLG Stuttgart, decision of April 26, 1979 - 1 Ss (6) 1047/78

It is also strictly forbidden to drive after emergency vehicles. Even lane changers, who believe they can get ahead faster in a traffic jam, significantly obstruct the emergency lane.

Motorway entrances

Keep the entry lane to the rescue lane clear at the motorway entrance

Emergency vehicles are usually allowed to enter the motorway from the motorway entrance closest to the accident site. If the traffic jam has already formed in the area of ​​a motorway entrance, an entry lane in the right-hand lanes from the motorway entrance into the rescue alley must be kept free of vehicles in these lanes.

Maintain the maneuvering distance

In traffic jams or when traffic flows at walking pace, keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front to enable maneuvering if necessary. The ADAC recommends a distance of 5 meters (about the length of a car). This can be necessary, for example, in bottlenecks such as motorway bridges, tunnels, construction sites or when the hard shoulder is blocked by defective vehicles.

Do not enter the emergency lane

According to § 18 Paragraph 9 (StVO) "pedestrians are not allowed to enter highways". A fine of 10 euros is provided for violations. You are only allowed to enter the motorway in the event of an emergency. This emergency situation is only given if measures to prevent accidents have to be taken. If there is an absolute standstill in a traffic jam, the police will probably be accommodating if someone should stretch their legs for a moment. In doing so, however, the emergency lane must not be entered in order not to obstruct approaching emergency vehicles.

Declining readiness for “usual” traffic jams

The willingness of road users to form an emergency lane decreases in traffic jams and at walking pace in morning and evening rush hour traffic, as well as in traffic jams due to vacation and in front of construction sites. But even with “usual” traffic jams, an accident can occur that cannot be foreseen by road users. In mid-June 2017, for example, there was a mile-long traffic jam on the BAB 6 in the morning rush hour without an emergency lane being formed. The deployment of the fire brigade and rescue workers in a truck accident in the south of Nuremberg was severely hindered. When the emergency services called to pump out the diesel arrived at the scene of the accident, the fire brigade said that major environmental damage had already occurred because most of the leaked fuel had seeped into the ground or into drains. The ambulance also had problems reaching the scene of the accident to take care of the seriously injured person who caused the accident. The case is only an example of a whole series of similar cases.

  • Everyday life on the highways

  • Traffic accident BAB 3, 2014, no rescue alley

  • Accident BAB 8 , 2012, pedestrians in the rescue alley

  • Accident on BAB 8, 2012, ambulance making its way

  • BAB 81 : People and some vehicles are obstructing a rescue alley

  • BAB 7 : No rescue lane, no maneuvering distance, staggered driving

  • BAB 7, 2013: wrong emergency lane with blocking vehicles and pedestrians

Right-hand rule as a memory aid

"Right-hand rule"

For the formation of the emergency lane to the right of the extreme left lane, there is the right-hand rule as a memory aid : If you hold the palm of your right hand down and imagine the space between your thumb and fingers on your right hand as an emergency lane , stands the thumb for the outer left lane, the remaining fingers for all other lanes.

Dissolution of the rescue alley

After the traffic jam or walking at walking speed has ended, the rescue lane is closed. The lanes are used regularly again. In the event of a traffic accident, the rescue lane does not end until the scene of the accident or the cause of the traffic jam. Onlookers who observe an accident and slow down in order to have a better view of what is happening are hindering the rescue workers and prolong the formation of traffic jams. If you do this from the opposite lane, you yourself cause the traffic jam on the opposite lane, which can lead to the formation of an - otherwise unnecessary - rescue lane. The so-called gape of onlookers is a legal offense that can be punished by a fine of 20 to 1,000 euros. Photographing or filming crashed cars and injured persons is also prohibited and according to § 201a para. 1 no. 2 StGB are sanctioned with a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine. In the mildest case, there is a risk of a fine of 82.50 euros and a point in the register of suitability to drive (traffic offenders index in Flensburg) for unauthorized cell phone use while driving .

  • BAB 40 : Police divert traffic to the hard shoulder to drive past the scene of the accident

  • BAB 14 : traffic jam due to gawkers on the opposite lane

Further demands

If the creation of an emergency lane is to have priority, then the use of the hard shoulder - according to the Austrian model - should also be permitted during a traffic jam or at walking speed to create an emergency lane - but without creating an additional lane. This would make it easier to create a sufficiently wide escape route.

Since 2009, the Federal Motorcycle Working Group (BAGMO) has been calling for motorized two-wheelers to slowly overtake stationary columns of vehicles in emergency lanes on federal motorways.

A request by the fire brigade to set up information boards based on the Austrian model (see below) on the motorways fails because of the German road traffic regulations, which do not allow such signs. As a substitute solution, banners were attached to some motorway bridges that indicate the formation of an emergency lane in the event of a traffic jam. The previous awareness campaigns are inadequate.

history

GDR

The GDR StVO did not speak of a "rescue lane", but it was explained how road users should behave in order to clear the way for fire brigades and ambulances.

"If the lane is blocked due to a traffic accident or some other unusual traffic disruption, vehicle drivers must drive as far to the right as possible and stop in such a way that emergency vehicles can pass through to the left of the stopped vehicles."

- Section 27 (2) of the German Road Traffic Act of May 26, 1977

“Motor vehicles that make themselves noticeable by the special signals of blue light, siren or siren with rising and falling sound must be allowed to pass unhindered and the right of way must be given as soon as they approach. For this purpose, all vehicle drivers must drive as far to the right as possible and stop in such a way that the vehicles with special signals can pass through to the left of the stopped vehicle. "

- Section 44 (1) of the GDR's StVO.

"If necessary, taking into account the rest of the traffic, longitudinal lane markings - including blocking lines - must be crossed or avoided over the right edge of the lane. Emergency vehicles in the sense of this provision include vehicles with special signals as well as other vehicles that are used to remove the blockage or disruption (e.g. tow vehicles, rescue and winter service vehicles, excavators, cranes). "

- Comments on Section 27 Paragraph 2

Federal Republic of Germany

On March 29, 1963, Karl-Heinz Kalow sent a proposal for a rescue alley to the Interior Minister's Committee for the official suggestion system.

Paragraph 48 of the road traffic regulations can be seen as a forerunner of Paragraph 18 (9) of the StVO. This contained the daring instruction to clear the lane for emergency vehicles. But without a more detailed description of how this should be done.

The Rettungsgasse existed in West Germany since the Road Traffic Ordinance (StVO) came into force on March 1, 1971 with the designation "Freie Gasse" and was initially only valid on motorways and motorways. The designation of the "free lane" has been retained in all subsequent changes to the road traffic regulations to this day.

"If the traffic on motorways or motorways slows down, the vehicles must form a free lane in the middle of the lane for police and emergency vehicles to pass through."

- § 18 Abs. 9 StVO 1971

With effect from July 1, 1992, the legal obligation to create a free lane for police and emergency vehicles to pass through when traffic was slow was extended to include roads outside of town with multiple lanes in one direction and was regulated in Section 11 (2) of the StVO.

"If the traffic on motorways and extra- urban roads with at least two lanes for one direction, vehicles for the passage of police and emergency vehicles in the middle of the directional lane, for lanes with three lanes for one direction between the left and the middle lane, one create a free alley "

- § 11 Abs. 2 StVO 1992

Since December 14, 2016, § 11 StVO has been:

"As soon as vehicles drive at walking speed on motorways and on extra-urban roads with at least two lanes for one direction or the vehicles are at a standstill, these vehicles have to be used for the passage of police and emergency vehicles between the extreme left and the lane immediately to the right In the direction of a free alley. "

- § 11 Abs. 2 StVO 2016

Unclear handling

If there were three lanes for one direction, the regulation in force between 1992 and 2016 required that a lane be created between the left and right adjacent lanes. With two and four (or more) lanes per directional lane, the lane had to be formed in the middle of the directional lane according to § 11 StVO at the time. The only possible interpretation with regard to four lanes, that on the two left ones to the left and on the two right ones to the right, however, led to confusion within the rescue lane reconnaissance at the time. Most of the rescue services and initiators of the rescue lane communicated a regulation before 2016, according to which the drivers should always avoid the left lane to the left and move to the right in all lanes on the right. This regulation was included in the StVO in 2016. Until then, the correct behavior for four lanes was not explicitly defined in the StVO. Only from the formulation "[...] with at least two lanes [...] in the middle of the directional lane [...]" could it be deduced that the emergency lane had to be formed between the two left and the two right lanes with four lanes.

Lack of acceptance

Aid organizations and the media criticized the lack of understanding on the part of drivers and the hesitant formation of the emergency lane, especially in traffic jams on motorways. Although the lane on the autobahn would have to be formed when traffic was slow (at that time), regardless of whether it was actually used by emergency services, drivers usually reacted much too late and ineffectively to emergency vehicles that were already handicapped in transit. Most motorists apparently linked the need to create the emergency lane to the image of blue light in the rearview mirror. Despite efforts to clarify the situation, a conspicuous number of reports from the media and isolated rescue alley initiators made content-related and strategic errors. Mostly the emergency lane was discussed in connection with the motorway . It was neglected to explicitly point out that the lane had to be formed when traffic was slow and that a sufficiently large distance from the vehicle in front was necessary in a traffic jam for subsequent maneuvering. A nationwide uniformly thought out and effectively positioned rescue alley awareness campaign was a long time coming. Since the summer of 2014 there has been a joint campaign by the German Fire Brigade Union (Landesgruppe Hessen) and the Wiesbaden fire brigade to make road users more aware of the rescue alley.

petition

Since June 4, 2017, openPetition has been asked to co-sign a petition that raises three demands:

  • Increased awareness-raising about the formation of an emergency corridor,
  • authorization to video record the offenders during an operation to preserve evidence and
  • the increase in the fine to 2000 euros if the emergency services are disabled when driving to the scene of the accident according to the Austrian model.

The trigger was the bus accident on the A 9 federal motorway on July 3, 2017, with 18 dead and 30 injured, in which no adequate rescue corridor had been formed.

Rescue alley in Austria

Logo of the rescue lane of ASFINAG
Multilingual information board for the formation of the rescue lane on the Murtal expressway , Austria. Here with the English reference: Form emergency corridor in case of traffic jam , (' Form emergency corridor in case of traffic jam ').

In Austria , the rescue lane was made mandatory on January 1, 2012.

"If traffic on a one-way lane stalls in a section with at least two lanes, vehicles must have a free lane for emergency vehicles to drive through in the middle between the lanes, in sections with more than two lanes between the leftmost and the adjacent lane form (emergency lane); Except for emergency vehicles, this lane may only be used by road service vehicles and breakdown service vehicles. "

- Section 46 (6) of the Austrian Road Traffic Regulations

The rescue lane is compulsory on structurally independent lanes with at least two lanes for the relevant direction of travel in the event of congestion and must generally always be formed between the leftmost lane and the next adjacent lane. The hard shoulder may also be used when swerving to the right, provided that it is necessary to create a sufficiently wide escape lane. In principle, however, you should try to keep the hard shoulder free as much as possible.

  • Creation of a rescue lane in Austria, if the use of the hard shoulder is necessary

  • Rescue alley is formed

  • Rescue lane with two lanes and use of the hard shoulder

  • Emergency lane with three lanes and use of the hard shoulder

  • Rescue lane with four lanes and use of the hard shoulder

scope

In Austria, the regulation applies to all multi-lane carriageways that are delimited from the opposite side, regardless of whether they are in town or out of town - in contrast to the rule in Germany.

This mainly affects the motorways and expressways , which fall within the competence of ASFINAG . In addition, other stretches of road also fall under this regulation, such as part of Kremser Strasse , which was built as an expressway, but has been rededicated. In these cases, the respective state government is also responsible for mediation and information.

ASFINAG provides information brochures online about the formation of the emergency lane in Austria in eight languages.

  • Info folder "Rettungsgassenfolder" (German)
  • "Emergency corridor" folder (English)
  • Složku "núdzový pruh" (Slovak)
  • Portfelj "prostor za rešilno pot" (Slovenian)
  • Portfolio "Lane mentési" (Hungarian)
  • Složku "průjezd pro záchranáře" (Czech)
  • Cartella "Strada per la salvezza" (Italian)
  • Dossier "Couloir de secours" (French)

Punish

A violation of the administrative regulation will be sanctioned with corresponding fines.

"An administrative offense commits and is to be punished with a fine of 72 euros to 2180 euros, in the case of its irrecoverability with imprisonment of 24 hours to six weeks, who as the driver of a vehicle
a) does not form an emergency lane despite the presence of the requirements, if one Obstruction of emergency vehicles, vehicles of the road service or vehicles of the breakdown service,
b) illegally drives into an emergency lane if this is connected with an obstruction of emergency vehicles, vehicles of the road service or vehicles of the breakdown service. "

- § 99 Paragraph 2c, No. 9 and No. 10 StVO Austria

Failure to create the rescue lane is punishable by up to 726 euros. Anyone hindering emergency vehicles can expect a penalty of up to 2180 euros. Large parts of the motorways in Austria are under video surveillance. The operating company Asfinag has the opportunity to view the material retrospectively and to notify drivers who have obstructed the emergency services, which will be sanctioned with appropriate administrative penalties.

A post office parcel deliverer who used the emergency lane formed in a traffic jam on the Tauern Autobahn in November 2017 to escape the traffic jam with a van against the prescribed direction of travel was also criminally acquitted of the endangerment to physical safety in the second instance, but she had to surrender her driver's license for 6 months and pay an administrative fine.

Since 2019, unauthorized use of the rescue lane has been a preregistration offense .

criticism

Half a year after the introduction, it was criticized that the formation of the rescue corridor was not yet working and that the rescue vehicles were being hindered when approaching the emergency locations. In addition, motorists repeatedly used the free lane themselves to escape traffic jams. Officials asserted that there was an improvement. Some also claimed that there was political pressure to swiftly legislate the rescue alley.

Due to the controversial public discussion, the term Rettungsgasse was chosen as Word of the Year 2012 by a Graz jury .

The rescue lane came under fire again in March 2013, both from supporters and opponents, after a pile-up of 100 vehicles on the A1 in the St. Pölten area. New signage by ASFINAG is intended to improve information about the rescue lane, as emergency vehicles still have to make their way, especially in the area of ​​driveways. At the beginning of April 2013, it was proposed to monitor compliance with the rescue lane using existing traffic monitoring systems in order to be able to punish violations more easily.

Three years after the introduction of the Court of Auditors , the ASFINAG project management was criticized . The costs amounted to 4.62 million euros, but no tenders were carried out for the consulting services. Even the originally cited benefit of a faster deployment time could not be proven anywhere.

In 2017, officials from the Austrian Ministry of the Interior tried to scientifically prove whether the emergency services would be at the scene faster. This proof, like the evaluation by the Board of Trustees for Road Safety, was not successful . According to this report from January 2014, fire engines come to a standstill due to disabilities in 58% of cases.

An evaluation study on the rescue lane, which was commissioned by the Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF) in the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, recommends the following measures to optimize the function of the rescue lane:

  • Legislative action
  • awareness raising
  • monitoring
  • Infrastructure
  • Research needs.

history

The hard shoulder was to be kept free for emergency vehicles until the end of 2011. According to § 46 para. 4, lit. d of the Austrian road traffic regulations it is forbidden to drive on the hard shoulder on the autobahn. This does not apply to vehicles used by road services, road inspectors and roadside assistance services. Since a serious accident in 1985 near Amstetten on the West Autobahn , there has been a discussion about changing the law to introduce the emergency lane. This discussion was mainly supported by the fire brigade , the Red Cross and other emergency organizations. In Austria, ASFINAG called for the emergency lane to be used to form the rescue lane - and not as an emergency lane. Driving on the emergency lane to form the emergency lane was not provided for in the Austrian Road Traffic Act of 1960.

The current regulation came into force as planned at the beginning of 2012 after Transport Minister Doris Bures announced this in November 2010 and in 2011 the legal basis for the rescue lane in Section 46 (6) of the StVO for motorways and expressways, as well as in Section 47 for the Motorways were created.

Only a few days after the inauguration of the Federal Government Kurz I , the rescue lane came up again because the new Infrastructure Minister Norbert Hofer questioned it and wants to examine its meaningfulness. The emergency organizations contradicted this in unison.

Rescue alley in Switzerland

The Road Traffic Act defines that the "fire brigade, ambulance, police and customs vehicles ... are to be released immediately when they perceive the special warning signals. Vehicles are to be stopped if necessary. ”( Art. 27 Para. 2 SVG). How this has to be done on freeways in traffic jams is not further defined there, as is the associated traffic regulations (VRV). Since the way in which space is to be cleared is left to the driver, there is no penalty for not creating a rescue alley. This is set to change from 2021 and a fine will be paid if the formation of a rescue alley is prevented.

However, the Federal Roads Office , the Astra, recommends the formation of an emergency lane in the middle between two lanes, analogous to the practice abroad; in three-lane or multi-lane lanes, it should be formed between the left outer and the second lane from the left. The canton police report from practice that alleys are usually only formed hesitantly when the blue light comes on; In addition, there is uncertainty: Rescue workers would not consistently use the emergency lane, but also the emergency lane, as there is more space there. Therefore, in 2017, the cantons, in cooperation with Astra, are running appropriate campaigns to raise awareness. Radio announcements and changing text displays are used for this purpose.

Emergency vehicles are instructed to use the logistics lane in the middle of the construction site in construction site areas where there is no space to create an emergency lane. The logistics lane is the lane that construction site vehicles use to get from the motorway to the construction site and back again. The use of such lanes and the associated arrival and departure by rescue vehicles are an essential part of the emergency concept of a construction site.

Even if driving on the emergency lane is generally prohibited ( Art. 36, Paragraph 3 VRV), it is possible to use the emergency lane if necessary.

In Switzerland, motorcyclists have to maintain their place in the vehicle column when traffic is stopped ( Art. 47 Para. 2 Road Traffic Act SVG).

Emergency lane in other countries

The emergency lane principle dates back to the 1970s when it was introduced in the first European countries. Different regulations apply in the individual countries.

General criticism

German trauma surgeons criticize country-specific differences and call for uniform and simpler rules to avoid uncertainty among motorists.

Belgium

In Belgium there is no direct regulation for the formation of an emergency lane, but one must be formed when emergency vehicles with flashing lights and sirens approach. According to information from the ADAC, it is now allowed to snake motorbikes past stationary or slowly moving vehicle columns in Belgium. However, a maximum speed of 50 km / h should not be exceeded. The speed difference between the motorcycle and the slowly moving vehicle to be overtaken must not be more than 20 km / h.

France

In France there is no direct regulation on an emergency lane, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass.

Great Britain

In Great Britain , the hard shoulder ( hard shoulder ) is used as a rescue lane, which - due to left-hand traffic - is on the far left.

Italy

In Italy there is no direct regulation on an emergency lane, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass.

Canada

In Canada there are no regulations for the formation of an emergency lane, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass. It is not specified whether road users should swerve to the right or left when emergency or rescue forces approach. The move-over-law merely states that road users approaching an accident site must keep a safe distance from the rescue services ( Corridor de sécurité , French: safety corridor ) in order not to endanger them. Depending on the state and the traffic situation, there are slightly different regulations, for example how the speed must be reduced while driving past or whether the adjacent lane can be used or whether this must also remain free. Failure to comply could result in a fine of $ 200 to $ 300 in Québec and 4 points on the offender record. In British Columbia it is stipulated that the road user must drive to the nearest roadside and stop.

Croatia

In Croatia there is no direct regulation on an emergency corridor, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands there is no direct regulation on an emergency lane, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass. Emergency vehicles are allowed to use the hard shoulder and only drive in the left-hand lane for longer sections and thus welcome an emergency lane in the event of a traffic jam.

Poland

In Poland , appeals by the police and fire brigade are running to create an emergency corridor ( Polish : Korytarz ratunkowy , "rescue corridor "), as well as a petition relating to this , but there is no corresponding provision in the Polish road traffic regulations. However, according to Art. 9 of the Road Traffic Act, there is a general threat of a fine of 500 złoty (around 118 euros) and five points in the traffic offender's register if the emergency services are disabled. In serious cases, claims for damages and criminal charges can arise.

Slovenia

In Slovenia there are no explicit instructions to create an emergency lane, but in the event of a traffic jam, a lane must remain free for emergency vehicles and emergency vehicles. The system is based on the German / Austrian regulation.

Spain

In Spain there is no direct regulation on an emergency lane, but emergency vehicles must be given the opportunity to pass. In 2013, a discussion began about introducing the system of an emergency corridor (span: corredor de emergencia ) in Spain, following the example of some other European countries .

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic , the rescue lane ( Czech průjezdný jízdní pruh , translated: through lane ) has been set up in the same way as in Germany and Austria since October 2018:

As a precaution, a free lane of at least 3 meters must be formed on motorways and expressways with two lanes in one direction when the vehicle is stationary, in each case between the extreme left and the right next to it.

When the rescue lane was introduced in 2005, when Section 41 of the Czech Road Traffic Act was supplemented by a new corresponding paragraph through Act 411/2005 Coll., The regulation for roads with more than two lanes was different than it is today: at that time it was between the extremely right and the lane on the left .

Hungary

In Hungary , the emergency lane ( Hungarian mentősáv , translated as emergency lane ) has been mandatory on motorways in Section 37 (8) since September 1, 2012. The formation of an emergency lane corresponds to the old Austrian regulation, according to which the emergency lane should be used.

United States

In the USA there is no regulation for the formation of an emergency alley. Road users only have to clear the way of these vehicles when emergency and rescue vehicles which have switched on blue or red all-round lights and sirens approach by changing lanes. It is not specified whether they should swerve to the right or left. The move-over-law only states that road users approaching an accident site are also not allowed to drive in the adjacent lanes if possible and must reduce their speed in order to create a safe distance from the emergency services and not to endanger them. Depending on the state, there are slightly different regulations, for example whether the speed must be reduced by 15 mph or 20 mph compared to the respective maximum speed while driving past.

Web links

Commons : Rettungsgasse  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Rettungsgasse  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Germany:

Austria:

Czech Republic:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The rescue alley - Free travel for quick help ( Memento from August 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF) Training department of the Bavarian Fire Brigade Association, 12/2014. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  2. ↑ Introduction to the rescue lane (PDF) ASFINAG. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  3. ↑ a b c Evaluation of Rettungsgasse (PDF) Austrian Road Safety Fund in the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Eva Reblin: The street, the things and the signs: On the semiotics of the material urban space . transcript Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-8394-1979-3 , pp. 182-183 ( google.com ).
  5. ^ Gasse , Austrian dictionary. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ a b Federal Law Gazette 1970 I p. 1573 , No. 108 of December 5, 1970, Road Traffic Regulations (StVO).
  7. ↑ Rettungsgasse, hard shoulder BAB, liability distribution , OLG Frankfurt, ruling v. March 14, 2016 - 1 U 248/13, accessed July 26, 2017.
  8. ↑ Catalog of fines 2017. Accessed on October 13, 2017.
  9. ↑ The emergency lane and the hard shoulder . Inquiries to the transport ministries of the federal states and the Federal Ministry of Transport. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  10. ^ Voluntary fire brigade of the city of Heilsbronn . accessed on August 15, 2017.
  11. ↑ Sebastian Perkul: Walking speed in km / h - that's how fast pedestrians move. Helpster. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  12. ^ Peter Hentschel: Road traffic law. 38th edition. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-406-52996-8 , p. 873.
  13. ↑ Supreme Court decision March 23, 2007, reference number 2Ob262 / 05a
  14. ↑ Definition of congestion from the Swiss Federal Roads Office
  15. ↑ a b Printed matter 556/17, p. 3, item 43 . Federal Council, September 22, 2017. Accessed September 22, 2017.
  16. ↑ Federal Council decides to amend the road traffic regulations ( memento of September 23, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), Federal Ministry of Transport, September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  17. ↑ General circular on road construction 7/2009 , Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure , (formerly Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development). Retrieved August 15, 2017.
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  20. ↑ Wrong drivers in rescue alley. In: FAZ. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  21. ↑ Dozens of wrong-way drivers drive through the rescue alley. In: Focus. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  22. ↑ Several wrong-way drivers on the A29 - drivers turn into the rescue alley. In: Spiegel online. August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  23. ↑ Fine calculator . Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  24. ↑ orf.at: Ghost ride in Rettungsgasse: Trial is imminent . December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  25. ↑ Brazen drivers use the emergency lane to overtake - now it's their turn. In: Huffpost. March 17, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  26. ↑ Form the emergency lane - these rules apply from 2017 , rp-online, January 3, 2017. Accessed on July 13, 2017.
  27. ↑ Missing emergency corridor hinders fire brigade . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung online. June 12, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  28. ↑ Once again no emergency lane in the event of an accident: emergency services on A92 disabled. In: Münchner Merkur. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  29. ↑ A6 near Nürnberg-Langwasser - missing rescue lane - motorway had to be closed. Rush hour traffic on Tuesday morning (May 30, 2017). Bavarian radio. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  30. ↑ Truck crashes into concrete pillars and tips over: Mega congestion in rush hour traffic on the A5 near Karlsruhe Durlach ( Memento from August 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), Einsatz-Report24. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
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  32. ↑ Long traffic jam on A3 after an accident in rush hour traffic. In: Nürnberger Nachrichten. July 12, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  33. ↑ Video: Right-hand rule for the emergency lane. Short text with embedded animation of the radio station SWR3. retter.tv, May 30, 2016.
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  35. ↑ Serious accident on A3: Police pull filming spectators out of traffic. In: Deggendorfer Zeitung. July 4, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  36. ↑ Use of the hard shoulder (PDF) Recommendation of the traffic court day. In: ifz research booklet No. 9, proceedings of the 3rd International Motorcycle Conference 2000, Appendix: Peter Sandl. ADAC, "winding through" of motorcyclists - motorcyclists driving between lanes. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  37. ↑ Recommendation of the Verkehrsgerichtstag (PDF) in: ifz research booklet No. 9, proceedings of the 3rd International Motorcycle Conference 2000. Accessed on July 28, 2017.
  38. ↑ a b Gerhard Bullinger in an interview with Dirk Walter: No rescue alley? "The punishment must really hurt". In: Münchner Merkur. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  39. ↑ Section 27 (2) StVO of the GDR from May 26, 1977 (Journal of Laws of I No. 20, p. 257) in the version of the 5th ordinance of September 9, 1986 (Journal of Laws of I No. 31, p. 417) . Retrieved July 25, 2017.
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  47. ↑ Alexandra Maus: Wiesbaden: Fire Brigade Union and Wiesbaden112 advertise the rescue alley . ( Memento from September 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) In: Wiesbadener Kurier . 29th August 2014.
  48. ↑ rettungsgasse-rettet-leben.de
  49. ↑ Higher penalties for not observing the rescue alley, openPetition. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  50. ^ Petition in drawing - Accident A9: Petition reopened for emergency lanes, openpetition. July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  51. ↑ Z 4 BGBl. I No. 59/2011
  52. ↑ § 46 Paragraph 6 StVO.
  53. ↑ StVO 24th amendment to Austrian road traffic regulations, accessed on May 31, 2011.
  54. ↑ Form the emergency lane: How does it work? , ÖAMTC. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  55. ↑ Security Information Center , accessed December 5, 2011.
  56. ↑ Confusion about the rescue alley. In: Courier of July 2, 2012, accessed July 8, 2017.
  57. ↑ In the event of a traffic jam: rescue alley. ASFINAG, April 7, 2017, accessed on August 14, 2017.
  58. ↑ § 99 STVO, jusline. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  59. ↑ Turned on the motorway: acquittal final orf.at, August 11, 2018, August 11, 2018.
  60. ↑ Innovations in road traffic 2019 on ORF from December 24, 2018, accessed on December 25, 2018.
  61. ↑ Rettungsgasse under criticism . In: Wiener Zeitung . August 9, 2012; Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  62. ↑ Rettungsgasse is now a political scandal . In: Kurier , August 10, 2012; Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  63. ↑ Word of the Year , Der Standard . December 6, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  64. ↑ perplexity in the rescue alley . In: Kurier , March 29, 2013; accessed on March 30, 2013.
  65. ↑ 800 cameras against rescue alley offenders . In: Kurier , April 4, 2013; Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  66. ↑ What does the rescue alley bring? on OTS of September 30, 2015, accessed September 30, 2015.
  67. ↑ Analysis: Rettungsgasse does not save time in the courier from June 29, 2017, accessed on June 28, 2017.
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  69. ↑ Christine Staehelin: One month after the fire on Basel Autobahn: Emergency lanes are actually not required by law. barfi.ch, July 17, 2017, accessed on August 7, 2017 .
  70. ↑ Various new traffic regulations. Anyone who does not form an emergency lane will be fined. In: srf.ch . May 21, 2020, accessed May 21, 2020 .
  71. ↑ Federal Roads Office: Behavior in traffic jams , accessed on August 7, 2017.
  72. ↑ a b Yannick Wiget: Death lurks behind the blocked highway lane. Tages-Anzeiger , July 7, 2017, accessed August 7, 2017 .
  73. ↑ Kurt Latzer: No space for emergency alley. St. Galler Tagblatt , March 9, 2017, accessed on August 7, 2017 .
  74. ↑ Rettungsgasse In: ÖAMTC. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  75. ↑ Rules for the emergency lane are to be simplified. Ärzteblatt, July 19, 2016.
  76. ↑ Motorcycles abroad, bullet point Belgium / driving by , compilation of the rules for motorcyclists in other European countries, accessed on August 15, 2017.
  77. ↑ Design Manual for roads and bridges (PDF) Annex B Volume 6 Section 1 Rural Motorway Widening, Cross-Section and Layout at Physical Restraints Part 2 TD 27/5. February 2005. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  78. ^ Move-over-law , American Automobile Association (AAA). Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  79. ^ Corridor de sécurité ( Memento of July 29, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), (French) Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  80. ^ Motor Vehicle Act. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .
  81. ↑ Article 9 of the Road Traffic Act
  82. ↑ Bartosz Bronski: Korytarz ratunkowy - 6 minut ratujące życie. In: auto motor i sport. October 20, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2017. (Polish)
  83. ↑ Rescue alleys . Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  84. ↑ El corredor de emergencia reduce tiempos de rescate , Race. September 30, 2013. Accessed July 16, 2017.
  85. ↑ The police, ambulances and fire rescue vehicles can drive through traffic jams faster , mdcr.cz, press release from August 15, 2018 (English) accessed on October 1, 2019.
  86. ↑ The Czech Republic will adjust the rules for emergency lanes from October , Westfälische Rundschau from September 5, 2018, accessed on October 1, 2019.
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  88. ↑ A KRESZ 37. §-aa következő (8) bekezdéssel egészül ki. (Hungarian) § 37 a was added to the StVO. Accessed July 29, 2017 (PDF)
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