The controversial section control has existed in Austria for twenty years. It was first installed in Vienna’s Kaisermühlen Tunnel in 2003. According to Asfinag, it ensures that fewer accidents occur. However, many drivers find the ‘ruthless metal buckets’ an eyesore.
Everyone in the country knows her and almost everyone rolls their eyes when they see her. We are talking about the infamous Section Control, the last nerve of so many drivers and the last shirt of many a traffic hooligan. The first of these electronic speed controllers, covering a specific stretch of road, was installed in September 2003 at the Kaisermühlen Tunnel on the Donau-Ufer-Autobahn in Vienna, and has been a great source of excitement on our roads ever since. However, the system has proven itself from the start: the number of accidents on the affected route in the federal capital was reduced by half in the first year. Moreover, not a single fatal accident has occurred there since.
“Austria is a country of fast drivers”
An unfortunately necessary evil, Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler is of course pleased: “I was convinced that this measure would work, but I could not have thought of it so quickly and so clearly,” said the Green politician. This is also the gist of the experts: “Austria is a country of fast drivers,” says Christian Schimanofsky, director of the Road Safety Council (KFV). “Section Control is an effective tool to change attitudes towards speeding.” If these systems did not exist, there would be 280 accidents with personal injuries, 460 injuries, more than 110 serious injuries and almost 25 more deaths per year. calculated the KFV.
The authorities are aiming for 2,300 kilometers of highway
Asfinag has installed six stationary systems on more than 2,300 kilometers of highways in the country (see graph). After 2003 in Kaisermühlen, the next section control took place in 2005 in the Krumbach-Grimmenstein interchange section on the southern motorway (A2) towards Vienna, in 2009 the next one took place in the Ehrentalerberg tunnel on the A2, in 2011 in the Plabutsch tunnel on the Pyhrn motorway (A9 ), in 2014 the Bindermichl/Niedernhart tunnel chain on the Mühlkreisautobahn (A7) and finally in 2018 in the Arlbergtunnel on the Arlberg motorway (S16). These fixed systems are used when accidents or dangerous situations repeatedly occur on a certain route because the speeds are much too high despite sufficient signage.
No less than 33 million euros in costs
In addition to the fixed systems, Asfinag now also has 20 mobile section controls in use, which are mainly used on construction sites. The entrances and exits in particular are potential accident locations. Level differences that lead to road slopes, swerves and narrower lanes are often underestimated, resulting in serious incidents at critical points, Asfinag said.
The mobile systems would have reduced the speed at construction site entrances, so that it is seven kilometers per hour less than without route control. According to those responsible, the purchase costs of a fixed system amount to no less than one million euros, while those of a mobile system amount to 200,000 euros. €33 million has been invested so far and further investments in this area are planned, it is said. Much to the chagrin of the local drivers…
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
