Some serious accidents

Weather and travelers cause traffic chaos

The snow clearing vehicles were also in constant use in Vienna.

(Bild: Tomschi Peter)

On Saturday, heavy traveler traffic in western Austria and snowfall in eastern Austria led to numerous traffic problems. Accidents - some with tragic outcomes - and traffic jams were the result ...

In Tyrol, there was "surprisingly heavy travel traffic with long border waiting times", said Harald Lasser from ÖAMTC. In parts of Salzburg, Upper Styria, Lower Austria and Vienna, partly snow-slippery roads caused obstructions. Many mountain roads had to be covered with chains.

If you don't have to drive, you should leave your car at home.

Harald Lasser vom ÖAMTC

Snowfall should subside
The expert advised drivers to use winter equipment and only drive with winter tires and be very careful. "If you don't absolutely have to drive, you should leave your car at home," said Lasser.

It continued to snow in Vienna around midday, with a few centimetres already accumulating in higher districts. However, according to the forecast by Geosphere Austria (formerly ZAMG), the snowfall will stop more and more often in the afternoon.

(Bild: Tomschi Peter)

(Bild: Tomschi Peter, Krone KREATIV)

Accident drama on the A1
Accidents also happened time and again on the wintry roads. On the Westautobahn (A1) near St. Pölten in the direction of Salzburg, three young Viennese were killed early this morning. As reported, they had got out of a station wagon after an accident and were hit by a truck, according to the police.

Travel traffic causes kilometers of traffic jams
In Tyrol, there was mainly return traffic towards Germany on Saturday. On the Inntalautobahn (A12) between Kufstein Süd and the Kiefersfelden border crossing, for example, there was a backlog of six kilometers, as well as on the Zillertalstraße (B 169) out of the valley, according to Lasser, "six or seven kilometers. It looks like a kind of vacation shift change," said the expert.