Car hits tracks due to black ice – train accident in Bad Gandersheim!

Car hits tracks due to black ice – train accident in Bad Gandersheim!

A dramatic accident occurred last Saturday evening at a railway crossing in Bad Gandersheim. A 22-year-old driver skidded his vehicle on slippery county road 617, went off the road and stopped on the tracks. Despite the train driver's immediate emergency braking, a collision with the regional train approaching from Bad Harzburg could no longer be prevented. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, but the damage to the car was extensive - it was no longer roadworthy and blocked the tracks for several hours. The section of the railway had to be closed for around three hours while the regional train passengers were evacuated using replacement rail services. NDR reports.

The police noticed “drug-typical abnormalities” and the smell of alcohol in the driver. A rapid test reacted positive for THC and a blood sample was taken. The driver's license has been confiscated, meaning he is not allowed to drive until further notice. Criminal proceedings were initiated against him for endangering road traffic.

Road safety concerns

What the incident in Bad Gandersheim appears to have renewed is the increasing concern about road safety, especially since the legalization of cannabis on April 1, 2024. Before this change in the law, cannabis was the most frequently detected drug in road traffic. Initial surveys indicate that 64 to 73% of the population expect legalization to have negative consequences for road safety. And initial statistics actually show that the number of accidents under the influence of drugs has been increasing since legalization. It is expected that uniform statistics on these developments will be collected nationwide from July 2025.

A look at the numbers from 2024 confirms the worrying trend: In one populous state, drug-influenced accidents increased by 11.5%, and cannabis was involved in over 40% of these cases. In another state, the number of THC accidents increased by 25%, while the number of injuries increased by 17.3%. These statistics have also drawn the attention of politicians and police authorities, who warn of increased dangers to road users from driving under the influence of cannabis.

The need for improvements

As the dark field study by the Road Safety Board shows, around 250,000 people were driving under the influence of drugs in 2023. However, only 8,676 reports were filed for drug driving, suggesting that a large proportion of these drivers remain undetected. It seems that more action is needed to improve safety on the roads, particularly with regard to the detection of drug drivers. The KFV emphasizes that suitable devices and processes are necessary for better drug detection and points to the successes of European models.

Given the increasing number of accidents and the frightening statistics surrounding drugged driving, it is to be hoped that measures to improve road safety will be implemented quickly. In the meantime, police are appealing to road users to behave responsibly and consider the risks of driving under the influence of drugs.