New regulation will bring more safety on the Old Danube from 2026!

New regulation will bring more safety on the Old Danube from 2026!

The Old Danube in Vienna is not only a popular leisure and recreation area, but also a place where safety has the highest priority for all users. From January 1, 2026, the new “Regulation on the Regulation and Security of Shipping on the Old Danube” will come into force, which will bring important changes to shipping. Loud Vienna.gv.at This regulation aims to ensure that all watercraft comply with the new safety standards.

One of the key innovations is the speed limit for motorized watercraft, which is set at 10 km/h. Rowing and sailing boats are exempt from this regulation, which benefits both water sports and leisure activities. This measure ensures more security, but also brings criticism. Some water sports enthusiasts and club representatives fear that the speed limit could severely restrict the practice of the sport. These concerns were raised in a report Krone.at clearly. Rowers and sailors in particular report their practice of often going faster than the new speed limit.

Registration and marking of watercraft

Under the new regulation, all watercraft must be registered online, with certain exceptions for small boats. Larger boats have until April 1, 2026 at the latest to register. Each watercraft receives an individual license plate that must be clearly visible on the boat. These changes are intended to increase traceability and safety in traffic on the Old Danube, as Wien.gv.at reports.

In addition, most boats longer than 4.5 meters must be equipped with lights. This poses a challenge for many recreational boats without electronics. Critics fear that the effort and technical requirements involved could attract fewer people who want to use such boats.

Enforcement of the new regulations

The water police will detect speeding by eye as no radar devices are used. This could lead to a leeway in speed enforcement, which could have both advantages and disadvantages. The regulation aims to create greater clarity in boat traffic on the Old Danube and ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Compliance with these new regulations is crucial to avoid fines and criminal consequences. In other areas, such as Germany, there are already strict regulations and catalogs of fines for violations of shipping regulations. Violations here can be punished with warnings, fines or even driving bans, which underlines the seriousness of compliance with safety standards. There are also specific regulations in force for recreational boats that must be observed in order to be safe in the water, as in Ship radar is explained.

Overall, the new regulation is a step in the right direction to increase safety on the Old Danube, while also taking into account the legitimate concerns of water sports enthusiasts. The success of these measures will depend on acceptance within the water sports community.