In focus after the accident

“Long-distance trucking has slave-like features”

A few days ago, a gas cartridge exploded in this truck.(Bild: Maurice Shourot, Krone KREATIV)

The recent explosion of a gas cartridge in the cab of a truck at a highway rest area near Dornbirn (Vorarlberg) is symptomatic of the poor working conditions of long-distance truck drivers.

"If there had been cooking facilities at the rest area in Dornbirn, this would not have happened!" Trade union boss Reinhard Stemmer reacted to the incident at the new rest area on the A14 Rhine Valley highway with clear words. The driver from Lithuania wanted to warm up some food in his cab, whereupon the gas cartridge exploded for as yet unexplained reasons. The detonation was so violent that the side windows were blown out and the doors smashed open.

The man suffered burns to his arms and head. He is now also likely to have insurance problems. This type of food preparation is not an isolated incident.