Coach company employee points out dangers of tourists driving rental cars
From the scene of the accident Photo/Landsbjörg
"Today we face a huge problem which has become the most dangerous hindrance and cause of accidents on Icelandic roads: instant decisions of drivers in rental cars who suddenly stop in the middle of the highway if they see something interesting," writes Vignir Þór Siggeirsson on behalf of Hópferðabílar Akureyrar, the company that owns the coach that was in yesterday's tragic accident.
Three tourists in intensive care
Siggeirsson writes the post in a Facebook page dedicated to tourism in Iceland.
"Or people realise that they've taken a wrong turn and decide to make a U-turn in the middle of the road without warning and without thinking about other traffic."
He adds that the road from Vík towards Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is not in the first category of de-icing by the Road Administration but that this section of the ring road is particularly popular with tourists.
He added that their thoughts were with the family of the woman who died in the accident, the people injured and the driver of the coach and his family. He ended his post by saying that a driver of another coach that stopped at the scene of the accident had let all the passengers out of the coach. "Do not let passengers out of your vehicle at the scene of an accident. Passengers have no place at the scene of an accident. We must all agree on that although a guide or driver can help out at the scene.
