Berlin court preserves road-salt ban as ice triggers accidents
Berlin’s Administrative Court nullified an emergency ordinance that would have let private individuals use road salt to de-ice pavements, leaving landlords to rely on mechanical clearing. The ruling keeps Berlin’s road-salt ban in place, contributing to ongoing slippery conditions and a spike in accidents (201 incidents reported on Feb. 2; 30–40 daily hospital visits for slip-related injuries). Environmental group Nabu argued the salt harms vegetation and lacked legal basis for an exception. Critics blasted the NGO, while Mayor Wegner called for amending the Street Cleaning Act to allow salt in extreme weather as freezing rain looms.
