2 Ausgaben kostenlos für Sie
Fachmagazin taxi heute: Ihr Zugang zu exklusiven Inhalten rund um die Taxi- und Mietwagenbranche.
Aktueller Termin
Meist gelesen
Construction season: ACE warns of increased accident risk on motorways.
As temperatures rise, construction season has begun nationwide. According to ACE Auto Club Europe, Autobahn GmbH currently operates nearly 3,000 construction sites on German motorways. For road users, this means changed traffic guidance, reduced speeds and, in some cases, noticeably narrower lanes. The club notes that especially in construction zones there is an increased risk of accidents if vehicle widths or lane layouts are misjudged.
Lane Narrowings and Altered Right-of-Way Rules
In motorway construction sites, the available roadway space is often redistributed to maintain traffic flow despite the works. Traffic signs such as "narrowed carriageway" with numbers 120, 121 or 122 indicate reduced lane widths or unilateral constrictions. Urban areas also regularly see provisional traffic management due to construction.
If there is an obstacle on one side of the road, traffic on that side must wait, while the oncoming traffic has the right of way. This rule is intended to avoid risky evasive maneuvers in narrow areas.
Additionally, lane-keeping assistants and other camera-based assistance systems could reach their limits in construction zones. Provisional markings often overlay older lines or run in unfamiliar patterns, so the systems may not always recognize them reliably.
Width restrictions and vehicle dimensions
In many motorway construction sites, there are concrete width restrictions. The right-hand lane must not be narrower than three meters. For the left lane, restrictions are often posted at 2.0, 2.1 or 2.2 meters of vehicle width. In light of increasingly wider vehicles, including in the compact class, ACE recommends knowing the actual vehicle width precisely.
In the vehicle registration certificate the width at the widest point is indicated, but without exterior mirrors. The overall width can either be looked up in the user manual or determined by measuring from mirror to mirror. The simple addition of mirror width to vehicle width leads, according to ACE, to inaccurate results, as the mirrors are usually not mounted at the widest point of the vehicle.
Anyone using a lane with an unlawful vehicle width risks a fine of 40 euros. If a side collision occurs, clarifying fault is often difficult. However, if a vehicle is on a lane for which it is not suitable due to its actual width, this could lead to a higher share of liability in the liability assessment.
Zipper merge and emergency corridor
If a lane is closed due to roadworks, the zipper merge must be used. Vehicles should therefore use both lanes up to shortly before the bottleneck and then alternately merge into the remaining lane. Outside built-up areas and on motorways, the obligation to keep to the right continues to apply. Overtaking prohibitions may also be imposed in construction zones.
A staggered driving pattern is sometimes indicated. This supplementary sign has no independent legal effect, but serves as a recommendation to use the traffic space more efficiently and to avoid lateral collisions.
If a traffic jam occurs as a result of roadworks, an emergency corridor must also be formed there. If the space between the lanes is not sufficient, road users should keep a greater distance from the vehicle in front or move as far to the right as possible so that emergency vehicles can pass. (Source: ACE Auto Club Europa)
Content automatically translated.
Taxi-Fahrzeuge (Pkw) , Taxi-Newsletter, Taxameter, Taxi-Fahrer , BZP – Deutscher Taxi- und Mietwagenverband , Straßenverkehrsordnung (StVO) , Krankenbeförderung , Weiterbildung , Taxi-Konzessionen , Verkehrspolitik , Mietwagenbranche , Taxi-Apps , Berufskraftfahrer-Qualifikations-Gesetz BKrFQG) , Taxizentralen , Personal, Gehälter, Arbeitsschutz , Wirtschaftsnachrichten , Werbung , Taxi-Folierung , Taxi-Umrüster , Straßenverkehr , Elektromobilität, Taxifuhrpark und -flottenmanagement , Taxi-Versicherungen , Hybrid, Diesel, Erdgas , Taxi-Magazin
