Deadly accident

**My98RT10** · 10-20-2017

Got up this morning and while browsing the news with my regular morning coffee I got shocked learning about the accident which happened last night very close to my workplace.

According to the article, the Viper collided with the truck and crashed into a lamppost. Passenger was not buckled up and got catapulted out of the car and hit by the truck. Died on the crash site. To make things even worse, driver was under the influence of alcohol. He survived.

The car belonged to someone I know (he lives in the same city as I do) but was sold to somebody else maybe a year ago...

What a tragedy...

http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/...-aid-1.7156025

**City** · 10-20-2017

Eesh! Here's the translated article:

Dusseldorf. In the night to Friday, a man from Leverkusen died in an accident in Düsseldorf. A sports car had collided with a truck. The passenger was thrown out of the convertible, the truck caught him.
The 29-year-old died at the accident site. According to police, the sports car, a Dodge Viper , and the truck collided at 11 pm on the Frankfurt road in Benrath while overtaking at the height of an exit. The driver of the convertible had then lost control of his car. According to the fire department the sports car turned several times. Then he hit a lantern mast and hurled back to the main lane. The passenger was thrown out of the vehicle.

In the car were the 30-year-old driver from Leichlingen and the 29-year-old from Leverkusen, which obviously was not strapped by the police. The driver had obviously strapped up on the accident on Thursday evening after police reports, but he was under the influence of alcohol. An alcohol pre-test gave a value of well above one per thousand. The man is treated severely injured in hospital, where a blood test was taken from him. The truck driver also came to the hospital, he had suffered a shock. Both were supervised by emergency ambulances. The sports car was a convertible, but with the roof closed.

The road was closed in the direction of the city center in Düsseldorf until about 5 o'clock in the morning. The fire brigade cleaned the road. The cause of the accident was initially unclear. That excessive speed could have played a role, the police did not rule out. Officials ensured the accident vehicles. In the course of the day they expected further information on the cause and course of the accident. The police estimate that property damage in the amount of more than 150,000 euros was incurred.

**AZTVR** · 10-20-2017

Such a waste, where being properly belted might have made it a survivable accident for both occupants. I think that a lot of people still don't realize that the airbag by itself is not designed to be the complete safety system. I would think that in Germany, there would be a lot more awareness, though, due to schooling requirements for licensing. At least that is the reputation that the German licensing system has as compared to the non-existent American requirements for driver training.

(I'm making the assumption that the unbelted passenger probably held a German driver's license also.)

**My98RT10** · 10-21-2017

Originally Posted by AZTVR

Such a waste, where being properly belted might have made it a survivable accident for both occupants. I think that a lot of people still don't realize that the airbag by itself is not designed to be the complete safety system. I would think that in Germany, there would be a lot more awareness, though, due to schooling requirements for licensing. At least that is the reputation that the German licensing system has as compared to the non-existent American requirements for driver training.

(I'm making the assumption that the unbelted passenger probably held a German driver's license also.)

Despite any formal training and awareness there are always those few who just think it is not for them. To buckle-up is not something you learn when taking driving classes, you learn early as a kid taught by your parents...at least you should..