MUNICH: Long road tunnels are commonly used when routes cross mountains or go under rivers. So what should you do in the event of an accident while you’re driving through one?
As soon as you drive into a tunnel, note where the emergency exits are, turn on your traffic radio, and pay attention to any signs and instructions from tunnel staff, for example announcements by loudspeaker, says German motoring organization ADAC.
It’s very important to never turn around in a tunnel unless emergency services ask you to do so. If there’s a traffic jam in the tunnel, turn on your hazard lights and form an emergency lane.
ADAC advises staying at least 5 metres away from the vehicle in front, to give you greater ability to manoeuvre if necessary, say if you need to get out of the way of approaching emergency services.
If traffic is at a standstill for a long time, switch off your engine and stay in your car.
If your own car breaks down in a tunnel, turn on your hazard lights and keep to the hard shoulder or, even better, get to a breakdown bay.
If those options aren’t available, park your car as far to the right as possible (this applies to left-hand drive countries; it's left for right-hand drive markets). Then call for help using one of the emergency telephones.
If you suffer an accident with only minor damage, you will hopefully still be able to drive out of the tunnel.
If not, pull over as far to the right as possible and turn off your engine, but leave the key in the ignition before leaving the car, as that will make it easier for rescue workers to get your car out of the way.
Put on a safety vest if you have one and then call for help.
If smoke starts to come out of your car, you should first try to get out of the tunnel with your hazard lights on. If you cannot do so safely, park your car as far to the right as possible and turn off your engine before setting off the fire alarm at the emergency call station and using an emergency exit.
If someone else’s car is on fire, turn on your hazard lights and keep as far away as possible from the other car. Park and quickly take one of the signposted emergency exits. Pay attention to others and help them if necessary.
The ADAC advises that you should only attempt to extinguish a fire yourself in the very early stages, otherwise get away from the area quickly.
