If you want to celebrate the beginning of 2023, you can do it much more relaxed than in the past two years. Most corona restrictions have been lifted, and firecrackers are allowed again. Many people long for sociability and not a few turn night into day. Motorists should also be prepared for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Because of the banging, the Automobile Club of Germany advises parking your own vehicle in a protected area if possible.
Of course, if you have a garage, you don’t need to worry. However, roofed parking spaces or sheltered inner courtyards are also suitable storage options to significantly reduce the risk of damage caused by fireworks straying away. Quiet side streets or, in individual cases, the space under a bridge are ideal for “lantern parkers”. If you have a parking garage nearby, you shouldn’t shy away from the expense and park your car there for New Year’s Eve, advises the AvD.
When parking in public spaces, always check whether the windows and sunroof are closed. If there is a wind deflector on the vehicle, stray rockets or firecrackers can get caught there. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to cover the opening with adhesive tape. The substances that burn in the fireworks, especially black powder and magnesium, generate very high temperatures and this alone harbors a great potential for damage. Added to this is the force of rockets, which can even pierce windows in flight. It is therefore a matter of course to be careful with firecrackers or rockets in the vicinity of people or vehicles. Anyone who negligently injures people or intentionally damages cars with fireworks is liable to prosecution and can also be held liable by the injured party for personal injury and property damage, the automobile club warns.
In general, damage caused by careless handling of firecrackers is a case for the private liability insurance of the polluter. However, anyone who handles fireworks with gross negligence can lose their insurance cover and then have to pay for the damage caused out of their own pocket. Those who were injured, but also those who caused the damage, should document the damage and call the police.
But especially on New Year’s Eve, it is often not possible to determine who caused damage to the car. In this case, only fully comprehensive insurance, which also covers vandalism, can help. The compensation for fire and explosion damage provided for in partially comprehensive insurance will usually not apply if fireworks are caused. Jurisdiction only awards compensation if the vehicle was damaged by open fire or flames. However, scorching and scorching damage, for example in a convertible fabric top, does not belong in this category.
Anyone who greets the New Year with alcohol outside the home should think about their return before the celebration. The AvD generally advises not to touch the controller after drinking alcohol. Even if there is a limit of 0.5 per mille, who can safely assess this guideline for themselves? A fine awaits those who are found behind the wheel with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 1.0 per thousand. There is also a one-month driving ban. It is also important to remember that in the event of an accident, a blood alcohol level of 0.3 or more will result in a fine and a driving license suspension for at least six months due to relative unfitness to drive if there are signs of unsafe driving. From 1.1 per thousand alcohol in the blood, drivers, but also drivers of e-scooters are generally considered absolutely unfit to drive. Liability for alcohol-related accidents is then almost unavoidable.
Depending on availability, the AvD advises using public transport, driving services or taxis as an alternative for getting there and back. And if you let someone take you in the car, it is in your own interest to make sure that the person driving has actually not consumed any alcohol throughout the evening.
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The AvD not only helps on New Year’s Eve with a car breakdown or those who need other help. The in-house emergency call center is also manned around the clock and on call at the turn of the year. Help can be requested by calling 0800 9909909 in Germany and +49 (0)69 6606-600 from abroad. (awm)
