Traffic Jam Frustration on the S6

Not again! Reckless U-turn on the highway

The traffic jam on the S6 apparently drove some drivers to despair. In a construction zone, three vehicles made an illegal U-turn.(Bild: Krone-Collage/zVg)

Traffic at a standstill on the S6 on Monday heading toward Vienna—and for some drivers, common sense seems to have come to a standstill as well. In a construction zone, three vehicles turned around despite a double (!) solid line and drove off into oncoming traffic—and those are just the ones our “Krone” reader reporter caught...

Miles-long traffic jam, frayed nerves: Because traffic on the S6 near Neunkirchen had come to a standstill, some drivers resorted to a dangerous maneuver. The scenes left the “Krone” reader reporter outraged: “The guy behind me just turned around across the double solid line,” she described the dangerous maneuver.

“Turned around across the double solid line”
Notably: The documented traffic offenders were predominantly SUV drivers. It started with an Audi driver who calmly crossed the yellow lane marking, pulled out, and made a U-turn in the middle of the road. He seemed unconcerned that vehicles were approaching him in the oncoming lane.

The traffic jam on the S6 apparently drove some drivers to despair. In a construction zone, three vehicles made illegal U-turns.(Bild: Krone-Collage/zVg)

Just a short time later, the same scene played out a few meters further back: a BMW driver also turned around and drove back in the oncoming lane. Oncoming vehicles had to slam on the brakes in some cases, as the red brake lights indicate. A third driver followed the SUV drivers’ example and also made a U-turn.

Heavy fines loom
Whether the traffic offenders will face consequences remains to be seen. However, if the drivers are tracked down by the police, their impatience could prove costly.

The yellow lane marking was clearly visible. Responsible drivers pulled over to the right in case of a potential accident.(Bild: zVg)

Similar scenes on the highway
They are not the first: Similar scenes had already played out on Saturday during the holiday return traffic. Following an accident involving a motorhome just past the Salzburg border in Bavaria, traffic backed up for miles all the way to Walserberg. While most drivers waited patiently and formed an emergency lane for emergency responders, some drivers lost their patience. They turned around in the middle of the highway (!) and drove back against the flow of traffic.

Wrong-way drivers in the emergency lane
Particularly brazen: Several traffic offenders didn’t even use the shoulder for this, but instead misused the emergency lane as a driving lane. In doing so, they became wrong-way drivers in the very corridor that is supposed to be kept clear for police, emergency medical services, and firefighters. The Bavarian officers, however, showed no mercy: They stopped several vehicles—fines, points on their driving records, and driving bans now loom.