Fast night drive in Linz: test driving license lost after 129 km/h!

Fast night drive in Linz: test driving license lost after 129 km/h!

On the night of Sunday to Monday, April 7, 2025, the police carried out priority checks on Salzburger Straße in Linz. These measures resulted in several speeding violations and highlighted the importance of road safety in Austria. 5min.at reported that a total of ten administrative mandates were issued for speeding and spinning tires. A particularly striking case occurred when a driver whose driving license was still on probation was caught driving at 129 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. The driver's license of the probationary license holder was taken on site.

The police were also able to find a driver who tried to escape on the A7 without a valid driver's license, but was stopped. In addition, there were three other drivers who massively exceeded the speed limits. In another incident, a driver was reported for an artificially induced misfire and technical manipulation, resulting in his license plate being taken away.

Probationary period and driving license requirements

In order to better understand the circumstances of the incident, it is important to look at the regulations surrounding driving licenses in Austria. Every new driving license, apart from classes AM and F, is considered a probationary driving license for the first three years. During this time, special regulations must be observed, such as the alcohol limit of 0.1 per mille. Violations of these regulations often lead to additional training, which can extend the probationary period. oesterreich.gv.at explains that if the offense occurs again within the third probationary period, a traffic psychological examination can be ordered.

The probationary period is an important element in ensuring road safety and educating young drivers to drive responsibly. This is reinforced by the requirement that the probationary period for new classes acquired does not have to start over.

Current traffic situation in Austria

In order to further understand the context of road safety in Austria, it doesn't hurt to take a look at the current statistics. In 2022, over 6 million speeding violations were registered in Austria for the first time, an increase of 19.7% compared to the previous year. This is an alarming signal that underlines the need for increased traffic controls and education. bmi.gv.at notes that around 5.1 million of these violations were caught by radar devices.

In addition, the road safety record also shows an increase in alcohol tests and reports, which indicates an increasing problem in road traffic. Police carried out 1,768,730 alcohol checks and recorded an increase in drink driving reports.

The April 7 incidents in Linz are part of a larger problem that affects not only the police, but Austria's entire transport system. Constant monitoring and strict action against traffic violations are crucial to increasing safety on the roads.