Every year the German Automobile Assoctiation ADAC (partner of the US AAA) analyzes all major European road tunnels and evaluates their safety (in case of accidents, fire, smoke etc.). Here are the 2008 results: 7 of 31 major tunnels tested were given the grade E (poor, insufficient). The worst of all (for the 4th consecutive year) is the Cernobbio tunnel on the Italian side of Lake Como. In any case of emergency, the testers said, this tunnel is as good as a grave. In Germany the motorway tunnel underneath the Düsseldorf university got a D only and scored as worst national tunnel. 10 tunnels got an A, 5 got a B. The safest tunnels in Europe (A-scoring) are San Bernardino in Switzerland, the Pont Pla tunnel in Andorra and the motorway A38 tunnel between Göttingen and Halle in Germany. The remaining "challenging" (poor) tunnels are: Waaslund tunnel, Belgium - Marinasco and Breva tunnels, Italy - Eikefett, Jernfjell and Matreberg tunnels in Norway and Pando tunnel in Spain.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Andreas: Where and when was the last big European tunnel fire that killed a bunch of people?
Posted by
near NY, NJ, USA
445 posts
The last big one that I remember was the Mount Blanc
tunnel....don;t remember the year but at least v5 years ago.
Posted by
OP
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Kent, that I'd have to google myself. But the Maryann is right, the Mt. Blanc tunnel one was one of the deadliest/worst in recent years...
Posted by
Wodonga, Australia
440 posts
The tunnel fire was nine years ago. I suppose you could do a comparison between the number of cars using all of those tunnels in a 10 year period, and really,accidents like that are extremely rare. Like flying...how many aeroplane crashes per flights flown. Very minimal.