Safe on vacation: our tips for a good trip

PÖA

Are you going on vacation soon? Then take a look at what you should consider before and while traveling

Protection from burglars

Are you going on vacation soon? Then protect everything that stays at home and make it as difficult as possible for burglars!

You can protect your belongings at home with these little tips:

Always close windows, balcony and patio doors completely: Tilted windows are open windows!
Let your neighbors know that you are away: A few watchful eyes are good protection!
Have your neighbors empty their mailbox or arrange for mail storage: full mailboxes signal longer absences!
Use timers for radios and lights - even permanently closed blinds look inviting to burglars!
Don't leave a message on your answering machine about your vacation and only post vacation pictures when you're back!

Accident on holiday

An #accident on vacation? Unfortunately, this can happen.

We have summarized for you what you should do in the "worst case scenario":

Stop and secure the accident site

Stop immediately and keep calm.
Secure the accident site first: #Switch on hazard warning lights. #Put on your warning vest while still in the vehicle. When getting out, watch out for other vehicles in moving traffic and the risk of further accidents.
If the accident site cannot be cleared immediately, set up the warning triangle (must be carried: § 53a StVZO) on the right-hand side of the road or on the hard shoulder.

Distance to the accident site depending on the speed of moving traffic:

In town: 50 meters
Country road: 100 meters
Motorway: 150 to 400 meters.

In addition to the distance, there are other points to note with regard to the warning triangle:

Place the warning triangle in front of bends and road crests.
Ask accident witnesses to wait.
If you are stranded on the highway, stay a reasonable distance behind the crash barrier.
Always consider your own safety!
Tip: Keep the warning triangle cover on the driver's seat so that you cannot forget it on the road later.

Provide first aid

Call for help
Help injured persons within the scope of your knowledge and possibilities. Remove them from the danger zone.

Do not leave the scene of the accident

Do not leave the scene of the accident without authorization! You should only leave the scene of the accident if this is urgently required (e.g. assistance for the injured)

Call for help

In the event of injuries, extensive material damage, no agreement, if the other party has left the scene of the accident without permission or if the other party has a foreign license plate or no proof of insurance: Call the emergency services/police or have them call you (Tel.110 or 112).

Clear the scene of the accident

Do not impede the flow of traffic in the event of minor damage: Do not block the intersection because of a small dent or a broken headlight, but pull over to the side of the road. It is sufficient to photograph the position of the vehicles on the road beforehand and, if necessary, mark it (with waterproof chalk).
Tip: There are multilingual accident reports for trips abroad (available from insurance companies or automobile clubs).

Child seat

You and your children are going on vacation by car during the summer vacations?

Be sure to check again before your vacation trip whether the child seat is still correctly adjusted and the right size for your child.

Here's a shocking figure: Only a third of all children are properly secured in the car! Properly securing a child in the vehicle is the responsibility of the parents or the driver.

For children under the age of twelve, there is no alternative to a #childseat!

Please note

🔹Never switch to the next seat too early.

🔹 Children up to 15 months must be transported facing the direction of travel, and depending on the seat, even longer.

🔹The change from a reboard seat (facing against the direction of travel) to a forward-facing system should only be made when the child can sit independently.

🔹A booster seat with back support offers more protection in the event of a side impact.

🔹 Take a break with children in the car at least every two hours. Make sure you take the child out of the seat. Lay small children flat on the floor so that their spine can stretch. Older children should do stretching and movement exercises.

🔹If you need a new seat: Find out about legal regulations and test results on the internet.

🔹A consultation should always take place at a specialist retailer or advice center.

🔹Bring the child and the vehicle in which the seat is to be installed with you to the consultation. With a good consultation on site, the seat will be installed in the car.

The Wuppertal police offer a child seat consultation by appointment, where you can get advice on the different child seat systems.

You can reach the traffic accident prevention department at:
☎ Wuppertal: 0202/284-9500
☎ Solingen: 0202/284-9531
☎ Remscheid: 0202/284-9542.

Distance saves lives

In addition to excessive speed and errors when changing lanes, failure to maintain a safe distance is a major cause of accidents on freeways.

Resting on your holiday

Resting means reaching your destination safely: Studies have shown that one hour less sleep increases the risk of a traffic accident by a factor of 1.3.

Two hours less sleep doubles the risk of an accident.

Make sure you start your vacation journey well rested and take plenty of breaks during the journey!

Rescue lane

We cannot emphasize this often enough: Rescue lanes save lives.

Be a role model and clear the way for emergency services to reach the scene of an accident early on by providing a usable rescue lane. Because every second can count if the worst comes to the worst!

This always applies, of course, but even more so during the vacation season: experience shows that at the start of the vacations and on the following weekends, the volume of traffic is likely to be significantly higher, especially on the freeways. As a result, an increased risk of accidents is also to be expected.

Correct packing

Here are our tips for packing the car correctly:

As a general rule, store heavy items at the bottom and flush with the rear seat bench, and lighter items on top of the suitcases. If the load extends over the rear seat backrest, a load compartment grille or a fixed luggage net (no rubber bands) should be fitted.
The load in the trunk can be secured with a blanket and lashing straps or with a luggage net.
If possible, the rear seat bench should not be folded down as a partition between luggage and passengers. You can increase safety by fastening the seat belts on the rear bench seat, even if nobody is sitting there. This is because the retaining pins on the rear bench seat can break off in the event of an accident with a full trunk. The load then flies forward. This is prevented by closing the belts: They can withstand many tons of weight.
Place the first-aid kit and warning triangle so that they are ready to hand at all times in an emergency. Safety vests should be accessible from the respective seating position so that they can be put on as soon as you get out of the car. There should be a vest for every passenger.
It is also important to never do without the protection of an approved child seat that is suitable for your child on a vacation trip.

Focus on the traffic

Focus on the traffic! Whether in a car or motorhome: all your senses are needed in road traffic. Any distraction increases the risk of an accident. No WhatsApp, Instastory or phone call is so important that it puts your own life and the lives of others at risk! Because if you don't look at the road for just one second, that's 14 meters blind at 50 km/h and 28 meters at 100 km/h. On the highway, it's already 36 meters at 130 km/h.