Gray slush, icy surfaces: Munich’s streets are currently unpleasant to walk on – and even dangerous. Many people slip and fall. The city’s large emergency rooms are reporting more patients than usual. Around 70 to 80 percent of the people who recently came to the central emergency room in the city center slipped and suffered bruises or fractures when they fell, said a spokeswoman.
Wrists, upper or forearms and upper ankles are the most commonly broken, for example when trying to catch oneself. Many patients require surgery, either immediately as an emergency or over the next few days. According to the LMU clinic, all age groups are affected. The Munich Clinic advises older people aged 70 and over to wear good shoes and walking sticks for better grip.
But who has to make sure the paths are safe? The municipal winter service is responsible within the Middle Ring and in the core of Pasing. It clears and scatters when there is at least three centimeters of snowfall or when there is a risk of slippery roads. The employees of the construction department start this work at four o’clock on weekdays so that rush hour traffic can start moving in the morning.
Anyone who lives outside the so-called full connection area must ensure that sidewalks are cleared by seven o’clock on weekdays at the latest and that they are strewn with grit or sand to prevent slipperiness. The use of corrosive substances such as road salt is prohibited. According to the city ordinance, clearing and spreading measures must be repeated until 8 p.m. as often as is necessary to avoid danger.