As of: March 1, 2024, 4:33 p.m
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
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Press
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Austria is declaring war on speeders: from March 1st, cars can be confiscated for extreme speed violations.
The rule also applies to foreigners.
A few km/h too much on the speedometer – can happen.
Unfortunately, there are numerous drivers who are hardly interested in speed limits and who also like to drive significantly faster than permitted.
In Denmark, war has long been declared against such extreme speeders with the “mad driving” law.
Cars can be confiscated and auctioned there if they exceed the speed limit.
And strict rules for speeders will also apply in Austria from March 1, 2024.
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Speeding more than 80 km/h in urban areas in Austria: the car can even be auctioned
From March onwards, anyone driving 80 km/h too fast in urban areas or 90 km/h outside of urban areas can have their car confiscated, according to the Austrian Ministry of Transport.
If a driver already has a relevant criminal record, for example from taking part in an illegal car race, then the car is gone if the speed exceeds more than 60 km/h in the local area and 70 km/h outside of town.
According to the Austrian automobile club
ÖAMTC,
the confiscated vehicles can then even be auctioned off.
In Austria, from March 1, 2024, cars can be confiscated and auctioned in the event of extreme speed violations.
(Symbolic image) © imagebroker/Imago
Car confiscation is also possible for foreigners in the event of extreme speeding violations
Important: These measures also apply to foreigners and therefore of course also to Germans, as the
ADAC
emphasizes.
It was only in 2021 that Austria drastically increased the penalties with the so-called “speeder package” - since then, in extreme cases, fines of up to 5,000 euros can be due for speeding violations.
Drivers who exceed the speed limit by 30 km/h must pay at least 150 euros.
What happens if the car doesn't belong to the speeder?
Even if the vehicle does not belong to the speeder, the car can be temporarily confiscated on the spot for up to 14 days.
According to the ÖAMTC
, these cars cannot be auctioned
.
The Austrian Automobile Club doubts the effectiveness of the new rules: There are no studies showing that harsher penalties have a greater deterrent effect than smaller ones.
In addition, the automobile club has legal concerns: “Such drastic interventions in property” should, according to a club lawyer, “be decided by criminal courts and not by administrative authorities.”