Raser in Carinthia: Are there even harder penalties for overrun speeds?

Raser in Carinthia: Are there even harder penalties for overrun speeds?

In a dramatic incident last year, two test drivers on the south motor (A2) drove with over 150 kilometers per hour through a construction site area, where only 80 km/h are allowed. This dangerous behavior led to the immediate confiscation of its vehicles - a rare case in Carinthia, which should, however, initiate important changes in the traffic regulations. According to the Ministry of the Interior, a total of eight vehicles in Carinthia were confiscated from March to December 2024 due to speed violations, whereby the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KFV) expressly supports this new regulation, since it guarantees a necessary "cooling phase" for speeders, as the head of Klaus Robatsch explained. The figures were also worrying in the state of Lower Austria: 39 vehicles were confiscated here, followed by Tyrol with 36 confiscations. Robatsch also noticed a decline in fatal accidents, which supports the effectiveness of the new measures.

New regulations for traffic offenders

The changes in the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) were drastically tightened on March 1, 2024. Now vehicles can be confiscated in the event of speed violations of more than 80 km/h in urban and 90 km/h. The regulation is particularly concise that in the case of repeated violations, for example by participating in illegal car races, in 60 km/h in urban or 70 km/h outside of towns on drastic measures can be reached, as the ÖAMTC reports. These new provisions not only raise the penalties for relapse drivers, but also offer the possibility of temporarily confiscating vehicles that are used by third parties for up to 14 days in place.

However, the ÖAMTC expresses concerns about the new regulations. Juriest Matthias Wolf notes that there are no studies that show that stricter punishments actually have a deterrent. He also criticizes that such interventions in the property should not be decided by administrative authorities, but by criminal courts. These legal defects could endanger the law as soon as it is put into practice, which would be worrying for traffic safety. Instead, the mobility club advocates targeted controls in order to increase the likelihood of being caught in violations, and thus improve traffic safety sustainably, as in the report of Kurier can be read.