Waitzstraße

Waitzstraße, located in western Hamburg’s upscale Othmarschen district, seems at first a peaceful, leafy street. This one-way stretch, with a strict 6 mph (10 km/h) speed limit and cautious drivers, should be a safe environment. Yet, for two decades, an uncanny number of vehicles, about 30, have collided with the windows of shops, cafés, banks, and hair salons. The media call it Germany’s most accident-prone shopping street, while locals joke the frequent slapstick mishaps are a curse.

In 2015, the city installed heavy concrete blocks to prevent crashes. Despite their solidity, these barriers failed to stop cars from hitting storefronts; some even pushed blocks into windows, causing more damage. By 2023, slim, deeply anchored steel bollards replaced them. The line of bollards gives the street an almost anti-terrorist security appearance, sharply contrasting with the usual tranquility. While they protect shops, incidents still occur with cars hitting the bollards instead of windows.

Reports offer a clue: the average age of drivers involved is 75. This is no coincidence. Waitzstraße hosts a remarkable concentration of medical practices, with local reports estimating around 65 within just over 1,300 feet (400 meters), making it one of Europe’s densest clusters. Many older visitors arriving in oversized cars for brief appointments have mistaken the gas for the brake, tumbling into storefronts. Diagonal parking, stress, slower reflexes, and medication effects have further increased the risk of accidents.