Elzer Berg
Elzer Berg ( looking west ), right the municipality Elz
The Elzer Berg is a survey in the Westerwald region south of the community Elz, whose nationwide notoriety is mainly due to the stationary speed measuring systems on the A 3 at Elzer Berg.
Topography
The Elzer Berg with its height of 291.3 m above sea level. NN particularly due to the motorway 3, which leads over him known. It is situated between junctions Diez (Rhein- Lahn-Kreis, Rhineland- Palatinate - 99.0 kilometers ) and Limburg -Nord ( Limburg- Weilburg, Hessen Country - 107.5 kilometers ). From its peak in the Limburg Basin up to Limburg an der Lahn 3 describes the A an 8 km long downhill slope towards the south -east with an increasing gradient.
Accidents involved
This long downhill section at 100 km of motorway in the direction of Frankfurt am Main is a notorious accident black spot. Beginning of the 1970s showed the statistics on average 350 accidents per year. For this reason, one of the first stationary speed measurement equipment was built to monitor the existing speed limits in 1972. During this time, the mountain also received the nickname " cat's back " because the gradient similar to the one Katzenbuckel always increasing. Due to this topography, the driver perceives not think he is on a slope and his vehicle, if he does not pay attention to the speedometer, almost unnoticed faster. This results in an extended stopping distance, one of the main causes of accidents in the past, particularly in trucks. On the highway a large sign was erected, which showed a black cat on their humps two trucks auffuhren extremely close to each other. This sign, however, was now dismantled.
The traffic control measure was a resounding success. In subsequent years, the number of accidents declined significantly. In 1999 there were 64 accidents, although the average traffic per day rose to 88,000 vehicles.
Traffic control measures will take place only on the downhill section towards Limburg; the slope distance in the direction Diez is free of speed limits.
Speed monitoring
The speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour on the middle and left lanes and 60 miles per hour in the right lane (since May 2009, in front of 40 km / h ) are monitored by two stationary speed measurement equipment. These are installed in the second and third gantry and were temporarily secured with guards because of vandalism. Behind the third sign bridge is sometimes also monitored by radar or light barrier.
The speed above applies Contrary to widely held view for all vehicle types, since no restriction is made by additional characters. In practice, however, a top speed of 100 km / h basis for passenger cars on the right lane. With a road speed between 60 and 100 km / h system triggers though, the corresponding recordings are sorted out but later without issuing a penalty notice. This is intended to conflict with the right driving in low truck traffic - be avoided - for example, at night or on Sundays.
Only in the year 2006 93.000 speeding tickets were distributed at Elzer Berg and occupied 1.8 million euro fines.
The technique of monitoring has been updated in the course of years a regular basis. In December 1998, the dilapidated sign bridge on Elzer Berg was replaced by a new one. The Hessian Ministry of the Interior resulted in the fall of 2003 at Elzer Berg a temporary technical function test for automatic number plate recognition by without that data has been stored.
Tunnel
The tunnel Elzer Mountain of high-speed railway route Cologne-Rhine/Main also passes under the Elzer Berg.