Founded in 2011 and active throughout Germany, the Münster-based Verkehrsunfall-Opferhilfe Deutschland (VOD) helps relatives in difficult situations following road accidents. On Tuesday (5.12.2023), the VU team from Dortmund police headquarters, which specializes in recording serious traffic accidents, donated 650.00 euros to the VOD to support its work.
The idea for the donation came from the VU team. "We are not only on the scene with professional experience, expertise and measurement technology - we are first and foremost people who see and feel the suffering of accident victims and their relatives in difficult situations. And we ourselves take impressions into our private lives. These are images that stay with us for the rest of our lives," says Chief Superintendent Christoph Klinger, who heads the Dortmund accident team. In the more than 100 operations in 2023 alone, the accident team had direct contact with 33 fatalities during investigations at the scene of the accident. The lives of 63 of the injured were in danger.
33 fatalities in road accident operations in just under a year
The specially trained accident team from Dortmund Police Headquarters has been in operation since January 1, 2022 with a total of 13 police officers and government employees. The team is alerted in the event of very serious traffic accidents, including those involving fatalities, on the more than 500 kilometers of freeway in the Arnsberg administrative district and also in cities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. From January 1, 2024, there will be a total of 17 accident teams in NRW. Among other things, the teams work with special measuring technology, cameras, 3D scanners, drones and readout technology in order to be able to secure vehicle data with information on speeds, among other things.
During the accident investigation and forensics, the teams work in and on the vehicles involved. They also have direct contact with victims, which is part of everyday police work. The team prepares particularly stressful operations with psychological support. Another practice is "anticipatory support", which is intended to prepare for the operation with formative events and images. Nevertheless, the investigations and the impressions at the scene of an accident get under your skin. Police Chief Superintendent Christoph Klinger: "These images stay in your head - differently for everyone. For me, it was most recently the death of a young woman in an accident at Kamener Kreuz. She could have been my daughter."
Traffic Accident Victim Support Germany
After serious traffic accidents, the police inform those affected or their relatives about the work of Traffic Accident Victim Support Germany. "Many legal questions immediately arise, which can quickly overwhelm a grieving person. There is a lot to organize - we as VOD work as guides in a network that can provide effective help in times of need. However, when the action comes to rest later, the feelings find their way to the surface. Among other things, we provide targeted support in the difficult search for therapy places. However, this search is not easy because the waiting times are far too long," says Silke von Beesten, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, about the VOD's work - "it would be better if the waiting times were significantly shorter."
Dortmund's Police Commissioner Gregor Lange thanked the VU team for the donation initiative on Tuesday. "This shows that our colleagues at the scene of an accident always put their hearts into their work and are there for those affected in critical situations. If, in this way, we can help relatives to cope with a profound event in the best possible way beyond an operation, then I am very grateful for the commitment of the accident team."
"Most accidents are preventable"
As Head of the Traffic Directorate at Dortmund Police Headquarters, Senior Police Director Ralf Ziegler reminds us of the causes and consequences of accidents: "Traffic accidents rarely have a technical cause. It is predominantly people who drive too fast, do not keep their distance, are distracted or are under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the wheel and cause suffering. It is therefore clear that most accidents are preventable. The number of people killed on the roads could be much lower."