The best rest areas in the test were Engelmannsbäke on the A1 in Lower Saxony and Plater Berg on the A14 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The two rest areas Stadtwald on the A3 and Brühlgraben on the A5 in Hesse performed the worst. According to the ADAC, they “lacked everything that travelers should find during a stopover on the Autobahn – clean sanitary facilities and well-kept and well-lit outdoor facilities”.
The most important test criterion was therefore the condition of the sanitary facilities. With “poor” or “very poor” 28 percent or 14 rest areas failed. There were no complaints about optical cleanliness in just under half of all tests. In 81 percent of the systems there were indications of insufficient cleaning. According to the automobile club, the hygiene samples were only safe for 18 percent.
Two rest areas achieved zero points in the category of sanitary facilities because the toilets were permanently closed without notice and there was no alternative. The situation is particularly difficult for people with physical disabilities: If a disabled toilet was signposted on the motorway, in almost 80 percent of the cases it could only be used to a limited extent. According to ADAC, there were sometimes no support handles, sometimes the door was too narrow or stiff, sometimes there was no way to make an emergency call.
The rest areas tested had the worst results in terms of the users’ personal sense of security – almost a third of the areas failed with “poor” or “very poor”. Ten systems therefore did not have an emergency call. In addition, more than half of the car and truck parking spaces were not or not sufficiently lit. The testers rated positively that all toilet buildings were equipped with lights at night.
According to the automobile club, there were “hardly any positive changes” compared to the last test four years ago. The ADAC explained that it expects the motorway company, as the new operator of the rest areas, to significantly improve the overall condition of the facilities. For this it is necessary that “a high degree of cleanliness, safety and relaxation” is offered on all pitches.
The testers examined the 50 rest areas in June and July. Each system was checked twice at intervals of at least 24 hours outside of the holiday periods.
