The patrol cars of the NRW highway police are being fitted with new stickers requesting the formation of a rescue lane. They are affixed to the rear bumper. The stickers are intended to remind road users not to wait until the emergency services are approaching before forming a rescue lane. Because by then it is often already too late and maneuvering has become impossible due to tailgating. Many road users often do not expect several emergency vehicles to arrive at the scene with a time delay. Lack of knowledge also often leads to uncertainty. For example, many people are not aware that the hard shoulder must not be used to form an emergency lane.
An amendment to Section 11 (2) of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) came into force on December 14, 2016. The regulations are unambiguous:
- Rescue lanes are mandatory on federal highways and non-urban roads with at least two lanes.
- The emergency lane is already formed when traffic is at a standstill.
- The lane must be formed between the leftmost lane and the lane immediately to the right
It happens again and again that road users do not form a rescue lane, or do not maintain it, or even use the rescue lane to move forward faster, making it impossible for the emergency services to pass. These situations are a nerve-wracking test of patience for the emergency services on their way to the scene. But more importantly, rescue lanes save lives. They give the emergency services the opportunity to get to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible to rescue and treat the injured. And every second counts.