Berlin’s City Center District Mayor Wants SUVs Banned From Its Streets After Fatal Accident
Stephan von Dassel said that such “armored cars” do not belong in his city.
The district mayor of Berlin-Mitte, the central quarter of the German city apparently wants to ban SUVs from the capital’s roads after four people tragically died when a Porsche Macan lost control and ran onto a sidewalk last Friday.
"Such armored cars do not belong in the city," Stephan von Dassel said in a press conference. "They are climate killers, even threatening without an accident, every driving mistake becomes a mortal danger to the innocent."
The driver of the Macan reportedly suffered a medical emergency, which caused him to lose control of his SUV. It then ran through a construction site barrier and struck a traffic light pole before coming to a rest, sadly running over two men, a toddler, and an elderly woman over in the process. Two other individuals were injured but were able to be treated at the scene of the accident.
There were three occupants inside the Macan when the accident occurred, but they only suffered minor injuries.
"Initial indications that a medical emergency of the driver could have been the cause, as well as all other statements, information, and evidence in the investigation," a press release from the local police stated.
This isn’t the first-time activists and German officials have attempted to try and free Berlin from automobiles in hopes of a car-free future to curb both air pollution and congestion. But this seems like the first time a German official is targeting a specific type of vehicle.
Though we’re not quite sure how Dassel came up with the idea that SUVs were “armored cars,” which is the direct German-to-English translation of “panzerähnliche Autos," it could become an interesting rallying cry for those in a part of the world that has typically eschewed larger automobiles. Yet, given the public's demand for SUVs and CUVs elsewhere in the world, Dassel and his compatriots are likely to find an uphill battle.