European Police Congress in Berlin to Highlight Dangers Faced by Officers on Highways
As the European Police Congress is set to begin in Berlin on Tuesday, the Police Union (GdP) has expressed concerns over the dangers faced by officers when securing accident sites on German autobahns and is calling for harsher penalties for reckless drivers.
“My colleagues and I often risk our lives in the line of duty on the autobahns” said Michael Mertens, the deputy chairman of the GdP, in an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. “Too often, the drivers who follow us make mistakes or disregard the rules and that’s why we need a change in the criminal code.”
Mertens emphasized that the legislation must be amended to hold reckless drivers accountable for putting the lives of emergency responders at risk. “Whoever drives recklessly and fails to adjust their speed at an accident site endangers emergency responders in a negligent manner. We urgently need to create the necessary penalties for such behavior” he stressed.
The GdP has also highlighted the lack of official statistics on the number of emergency responders injured in traffic accidents, describing it as one of the many “construction sites” that require immediate attention. The union particularly emphasized the risks faced by officers at accident and construction sites, as well as near abandoned vehicles, where they often have to set up warning signs themselves. The proximity to the accident site and the late warning often put the officers in danger.
At the police congress, the GdP will advocate for the widespread expansion of traffic control systems and the introduction of a 130 km/h speed limit on autobahns without such systems. The union also supports the general idea of a speed limit of 130 km/h.