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Hit-and-run in Hesse: A devastating trend and its consequences!
The number of hit-and-runs in Hesse is increasing. You can find out the causes, statistics and legal consequences in our current report.
Hit-and-run in Hesse: A devastating trend and its consequences!
In Hesse, the number of hit-and-runs has increased alarmingly. In the approximately 26,820 traffic accidents registered last year, 3,760 drivers fled, which accounted for a whopping 14 percent of the total accidents. The question always arises: What motivates people to simply run away after an accident? According to traffic psychologist Patrick Grieser, who studies this topic intensively, dark motivations are often hidden behind the fugitive. Those responsible often try to cover up criminal acts such as alcohol or drug abuse or driving without a valid driver's license.
The statistics speak for themselves: people were injured in 1,980 hit-and-run cases and, tragically, there were four deaths that were directly related to such incidents. The police warn urgently: “Hit-and-run is a criminal offense and can result in a prison sentence of up to three years,” as hessenschau.de reports. A specific case from last year shows the extent of this problem: A 35-year-old was convicted after leaving an e-scooter driver seriously injured.
Rapid increase in incidents
According to op-online.de, the number of hit-and-runs has also risen rapidly in recent years. With almost 44,000 cases in 2017, the numbers hovered around 120 offenses per day. Compared to 2013 and 2014, when the number was below 40,000, this development seems alarming. What is particularly striking is that, according to Jörg Lang, head of the central investigation into hit and run accidents at the Frankfurt police, almost every third traffic accident ends in a runaway.
Most of the time it is supposedly small damage, such as parking collisions, that causes drivers to leave the scene of the accident. Fear of insurance increases, tight deadlines or the influence of drugs and alcohol also contribute to the escape mentality. The consequences can be serious: the penalties for leaving the scene of an accident without permission include fines and the temporary revocation of your driving license.
Injuries and fatalities
Current statistics show that around 4 percent of accident escapes result in injuries or even deaths, which means that in the vast majority of cases there is property damage. Last year, around 230 people suffered serious injuries, while the number of minor injuries fell to around 1,900. What remains particularly tragic is the fact that the number of deaths in hit-and-run accidents has fallen to six.
The overall clearance rate for such crimes is 41 percent, and in serious cases it is even significantly higher. The police have a good chance of locating a hit-and-run driver within an hour, which is often because the suspects often say they did not notice the incident or label the damage caused as “trivial.”
In order to avoid accidents and act together, the police advise following the legally prescribed steps after an incident: turn on the hazard lights, secure the scene of the accident, help the injured, call the police and exchange personal details. Hopefully these recommendations will inspire more drivers to take responsibility and not just drive away.