A man died the other day.
Just a few tens of meters from the house where I stay for vacation a few days.
He was walking his dog in the evening. He was 83. He was hit by a car while he was crossing the street.
Police, fire brigade, ambulance, even a rescue helicopter landed. In vain. The man died at the scene of the accident.
I have taken a closer look at the street afterwards. It is a road on which you are allowed to drive up to 100 kilometres per hour. The road (called ST 2250) borders the little town of Neusitz in Bavaria and separates it from a nature and recreation area in the north (see map below). I guess many people cross this street every day. But there is not a single spot where you can pass this street safely. No lighted spot, no crosswalk, no pedestrian lights.
I was standing the other night at the street watching the cars drive by at high speed. It‘s a busy road. You have to pay attention when you want to cross it safely. It won’t be any easier when you are 83. I suspect the car driver didn't even see the pedestrian before the collision.
I'm angry about this kind of traffic policy. How dare we to let this happen? Why do we let cars drive past towns at high speed? Why are there still deadly traps like this? What price are we willing to pay to get from A to B as quickly as possible?
Mourning Greetings,
The Strolling Economist