The German Green Party temporarily put forward a suggestion that could have resulted in motorists being banned from reversing their cars out of a parking space.
Alke Voß, Green Party Councillor in Kiel, north Germany, suggested that reversing when parking should be banned in order to meet road safety goals.
The “Vision Zero” initiative aims to achieve zero road fatalities by 2050 across the European Union. This will be met with safer infrastructure, better vehicles and enhanced automation.
It stems from data which shows that there are 44 road deaths per one million inhabitants across Europe. In 2021, an estimated 19,800 people lost their lives on EU roads.
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The proposal would have called for a ban on reverse parking
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Voß, who is the councillor responsible for the environment, climate protection and mobility, put forward a motion to ban reverse parking in larger, newly constructed parking lots.
According to Kieler Nachrichten, she said: “As an administration, we first want to coordinate with the actors involved, such as the traffic safety association, the police or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.”
The proposal stated that parking spaces and driveways on newly created sites will only be approved if cars can drive forward onto and off the property.
However, the proposal would not have impacted all parking spaces, with small garages and open facilities with up to four parking spaces that have access to the street being exempt.
The proposal has since been withdrawn, and it remains to be seen whether the measure will be brought forward again, especially as local authorities grapple to improve road safety.
In response to the proposal, Carsten Rockstein, group leader for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Kiel, said: “As a CDU council group, we are speechless and at a loss.
“Is it simply the idea of regulating reversing out of parking spaces or is it the unprecedented actions of the department head Voß that deserves more criticism.
“The mere assumption that such a proposal could lead to a significant reduction in the number of accidents is enough for Ms. Voß to want to make life difficult for drivers.”
While banning reverse parking may not be popular, measures have been taken around the world to boost safety based on how motorists interact when inside their cars.
The Dutch Reach has been promoted by road safety experts to ensure that motorists do not injure pedestrians and cyclists when they swing their doors open.
The technique sees drivers and passengers use their opposite hand furthest from the door to open it. By doing so, drivers will stretch across their body, giving them a better view out of side mirrors and back windshield.
When in this position, car passengers will have a far greater view of the outside and will be able to see when a pedestrian or cyclist is coming towards them.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Dutch Reach was included in the Highway Code update two years ago
AA
This was included in the 2022 update to the Highway Code and has been inspired by the popularity of the technique in the Netherlands.
Despite the popularity of the move in the Netherlands and the inclusion in the Highway Code, research from the AA found that 71 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men had never heard of it.