Hamburg witnesses mass abandonment of drivers in vehicles
In the bustling city of Hamburg, hit-and-run accidents have been a persistent issue, with the number of incidents ranging from 16,000 to 18,800 per year between 2020 and 2024. These accidents, which often occur on parking lots, have been a challenge for authorities, particularly due to the minor traces left on damaged cars, making it difficult to identify the driver at fault in many cases.
The clearance rate for hit-and-runs with property damage has been consistently lower than for cases where people were injured. However, there has been a notable improvement in 2024, with approximately every third hit-and-run case being clarified. The clearance rate for cases involving personal injury stood at 45%, higher than the rate for property damage cases.
In 2024, there were slightly over 900 hit-and-run accidents in Hamburg involving personal injury, and almost 18,000 involving property damage. The number of accidents with personal injury has remained relatively stable compared to the number of accidents with property damage.
The police in Hamburg emphasize the importance of staying at the scene of an accident and contacting them for investigations. They advise waiting at the scene for approximately 30 to 45 minutes before making the call. Leaving contact details in minor hit-and-run cases on parking lots does not meet the legal requirements.
It is common for cars to "bump" into each other when parking in or out on larger parking lots, such as those in front of supermarkets. However, leaving the scene of an accident too quickly often hinders investigations into traffic accidents in Hamburg.
The police provided these statistics on hit-and-run accidents in Hamburg to the German Press Agency upon request. Notably, the number of hit-and-run accidents in Hamburg was last higher in 2019, with over 19,000 cases. However, there is no publicly available information identifying a specific person or factor responsible for the increase in the share of accidents without fleeing in Hamburg in 2024.
It's worth noting that this information about hit-and-run accidents in Hamburg is separate from a long-standing occupation of a construction site in Eppendorf, Hamburg, by an unnamed individual. This occupation is not related to the hit-and-run accidents in the city.
In the city area of Hamburg, a significant number of hit-and-run cases occur on parking lots. The police urge drivers to prioritize staying at the scene of an accident and contacting the authorities to help improve the clearance rate and bring justice to those affected by these incidents.
