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During autumn, motorists must be extremely careful in traffic by keeping an eye out for fog, storms and wildlife. Motorist club officials gave recommendations on how to get safely through the third season. Whenever there is dense fog, a general rule is to slow down and drive even more carefully.
• Adjust speed to range of sight. If visibility is only 50 meters ahead, don’t drive faster than 50 kilometers per hour. If it’s 100 meters, don’t drive faster than 80 kph, and if visibility is 150 meters, don’t drive faster than 100 kph.
• Focus on the safety poles, not the center stripes. The poles on the right side always have rectangular reflectors, and those on the left have two round reflectors.
The density of fog can be estimated by the distance of those safety poles. On regular roads, the distance between two poles is 25 meters and on the autobahn it’s 50 meters.
A reduced speed during bad visibility or while driving through forests is also needed for another reason: with less daylight, wild game get more active later in the morning and earlier at night.
Each year, about 2,800 people get injured in accidents with wildlife. If wildlife suddenly appears, motorists should brake immediately, turn down the lights and blow the horn. They should not swerve because they could lose control.
On streets with deer crossing traffic signs, drivers should drive in a cautious and anticipating way.
If a collision with game happens, the warning lights have to be turned on and the vehicle has to be secured. Injured passengers have to be taken care of and the police have to be called. The animal should not be touched. Foxes can be infected with rabies and deer, who may appear unconscious, can kick out.
It’s considered poaching if somebody takes the deer and puts it in the trunk. This results in the confiscation of the vehicle and a fine. In some cases, a prison sentence of up to five years is possible. Car owners need a written confirmation by the police or the game lessee so the comprehensive insurance will pay for the damage.
The game lessee is based on animal protection laws obliged to find an animal that got hit and hurt and put it out of its misery.
(Courtesy of German automobile club)
