Rapid lightning: 26-year-old stopped at 144 km/h in Wels!

Rapid lightning: 26-year-old stopped at 144 km/h in Wels!

In Wels, Upper Austria, a 26-year-old North Macedonian citizen was stopped by police on October 24, 2025 after he was clocked driving 144 km/h in a 70 zone. This happened at 10:10 p.m. during a speed check that was carried out using technical devices such as a laser gun. During the inspection, the driver was surprised at his high speed. His driver's license was then temporarily confiscated and his vehicle was confiscated. This measure is one of the stricter measures against speeders that have been in force since March 1, 2024.

As 5min.at reports, vehicles can be confiscated if they exceed the speed limit by more than 60 or 70 km/h if certain requirements are met. If you exceed the speed limit by more than 80 km/h, the requirements for a previous driving license revocation are no longer applicable. The incident in Wels is not isolated, but fits into a larger context of traffic safety in Austria.

Speed ​​limit violations

The police actively pursue speeding in order to increase road safety. A total of 6,145,227 speeding violations were penalized in 2024, representing a slight decrease of 0.2% compared to the previous year. The majority of violations, around 5.3 million, were detected by radar, while about 600,000 were detected by laser measurements. These measures are part of efforts to improve road safety and reduce dangerous driving behavior. The federal police act on behalf of the state governments and carry out regular checks and document violations.

As part of the measures to improve road safety, the authority now also has the option of temporarily confiscating vehicles in the event of serious violations. Not only the driver's behavior is taken into account, but also the risk to other road users. This regulation shows how seriously the authorities take the issue of lawns and is intended to act as a deterrent.

Implementation of the new regulations

According to bmimi.gv.at, the traffic authority has a period of two weeks to decide whether the vehicle will remain impounded. If the driving ban is imposed, this also applies to the owner of the vehicle, even if he was not driving himself. In addition, the 34th StVO amendment has brought about significant changes in the regulations for the recognition of Kosovar driving licenses in Austria in order to meet road safety requirements.

These developments highlight the authorities' ongoing efforts to take strict action against speeders and improve road safety. The case in Wels is an example of how such regulations are implemented in practice and the importance of adhering to speed limits in road traffic.

For further information on the topic, the police have taken stock in the past and named where the most common violations were found in traffic stops; These include not only excessive speed, but also deficiencies in safe distance and cell phone use while driving. Of the 224,464 reports of truck and bus inspections, technical defects and driving time violations were the most common problems, which can also endanger road safety.

Overall, the current situation shows that combating lawns and improving road safety are central concerns of Austrian transport policy.

MyDistrict reports similar data and continuous monitoring in driving services.