Girls put traffic signs on tracks: Track accident in Brandenburg!

Girls put traffic signs on tracks: Track accident in Brandenburg!

On Sunday evening, June 9, 2025, there was a dangerous incident in Brandenburg an der Havel, which resulted in considerable traffic restrictions. Two 13-year-old girls placed a traffic sign on the railway tracks in the area of ​​Otto-Sidow-Straße level. This led to a passenger train with the obstacle. Fortunately, the train driver was able to initiate a danger braking in good time, whereby the 18 passengers of the train remained unharmed, reported rbb24 .

The collision, however, had serious consequences. The train lost cooling fluid and had to be towed on site. As a result, the Old Town, Klingenberg and Göttiner Straße rail crossings automatically closed, which led to significant traffic disruptions. The two girls were quickly determined and handed over to their legal guardians. The federal police took over the further investigation into this incident.

traffic signs in focus

In order to better understand the incident, it is important to look at the role of traffic signs in road traffic. Since the new version of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) on April 1, 2013, numerous changes to the traffic signs in Germany have been made. A new catalog of traffic signs published on May 30, 2017 has replaced the previous version of 1992 and includes all officially approved traffic signs, including additional signs and traffic facilities. This also explains why the understanding and correct placement of traffic signs are decisive for the safety in traffic, such as the Wikipedia explained.

Special attention received the introduction of new traffic signs that take into account new mobility concepts. For example, signs of electromobility and car sharing have been integrated since 2017. An important aspect is that from January 1, 2013, traffic signs have to wear a CE marking and their quality is monitored by the RAL German Institute for Conservation and Carriage. This ensures that the traffic signs correspond to the security standards.

Overall, the incident in Brandenburg an der Havel shows how important it is that traffic signs are used correctly and respected to avoid accidents and injuries. The incident and the resulting measures of the authorities are an urgent example of the responsibility that must be borne by both road users and the responsible bodies.