Turned around in a traffic jam

Wrong-way drivers outrage: “That can cost lives”

Impatient drivers simply turn around on the A8 due to traffic jams.

(Bild: zVG, Krone KREATIV)

Several drivers simply turned around on the Innkreisautobahn on Sunday because they wanted to escape a traffic jam through the emergency lane. There is great horror at the impatient wrong-way drivers, with many readers calling for draconian penalties. "We've never had a case like this before," said the traffic police.

"Brazen and irresponsible behavior!", or "This is not a trivial offense, it can also cost lives" - the "Krone" report on those drivers who turned around on the A8 near Meggenhofen on Sunday to escape the traffic jam through the emergency lane as wrong-way drivers was commented on krone.at more than 300 times. Tenor: The behavior of the impatient drivers is causing horror, many users are calling for consequences such as the removal of driving licenses.

"Withdrawal of driving license is the only correct consequence," says one reader. Another even commented: "Lifelong driving ban". Only a few readers expressed sympathy for the wrong-way drivers: "It's also unreasonable the eternal traffic jam!" - but this comment is an isolated opinion.

"Turning around and driving in the emergency lane against the direction of travel is a new quality," says the deputy head of the provincial traffic department, expressing his anger.

(Bild: zVG, Krone KREATIV)

Two offenses
In any case, the police want to report the offenders. "Unauthorized persons are not allowed to drive in the emergency lane, that's the minor offence. The bigger one is driving in the wrong lane, which will also result in a driving license suspension," says Johann Thumfart, Deputy Head of the Provincial Traffic Department, about the case.

Only blue light vehicles and exceptions such as morticians are allowed to drive through the emergency lane when they have to collect bodies after fatal accidents. Anyone who disregards the regulation must expect a fine of at least 70 euros.

"This is highly dangerous"
According to Thumfart, forming an emergency lane usually works well on two-lane highways. On multi-lane motorways, it doesn't always work perfectly. It happens all the time that someone dodges forward through the emergency lane in a traffic jam: "Every traffic regulation is disregarded in individual cases. This is also the case with the emergency lane," says Thumfart. "But turning around and driving in the emergency lane against the direction of travel is a new quality. It's extremely dangerous and we take it very seriously."