As of: March 5, 2024, 3:57 p.m
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
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Curse words are common in traffic.
But it's not just verbal gaffes that can be punished by the court.
One thing is certain: an insult can be quite expensive.
Some drivers have rather frayed nerves behind the wheel, while others control their vehicle with stoic calm in almost every situation.
But even the most relaxed driver is likely to lose his temper at some point.
Be it because of an annoying passenger or maybe because criminals destroyed half the car just to get the headlights.
Then it can happen that a curse comes to your lips.
So far, not too bad.
It's a different story if you insult someone in traffic.
This can be really expensive under certain circumstances.
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Once you get angry, you'll quickly shout insults at other road users that, in retrospect, you shouldn't have used.
But: How much can something like that cost?
First of all, the case has to be reported at all.
You also have to be able to prove the insult, which is not easy without witnesses - but also not impossible.
It also depends on who you offend: in the case of police officers, for example, a report is almost certain.
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Penalties for insults are calculated in daily rates
If you are convicted of an insult, it can be very expensive because it is a criminal offense (§185 StGB).
There is no fixed catalog of fines - the penalty that the court imposes is calculated in daily rates.
The latter, in turn, are based on the monthly net income.
This means: the more a convicted person earns, the higher the punishment will be.
According to the
Automobile Club Verkehr (ACV
), between 20 and 30 daily rates are generally charged for an insult.
If it doesn't stop with insults, but if someone involved also allows themselves to be coerced in traffic, there is usually a risk of much greater trouble.
“You have a total blast”: This is how much an insult can cost
But how much can an insult cost?
The
ADAC
has compiled some examples from court rulings:
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“Dirty beast” – 700 euros
“You have a total blast” – 1,000 euros
“Criminal”, “stupid cow” – 1,000 euros
“You’re stupid in the head” – 1,000 euros
“A…hole”, “dirty pig” – 1,000 euros
“Sluts, you miserable ones!” – 1,000 euros
As a driver, you should be able to keep your anger in check - especially in the presence of other road users.
An insult can have costly consequences.
(Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/Imago
It's not just verbal insults that can cost drivers dearly
But an insult can cost even more money: a driver who repeatedly called a truck driver a “son of a bitch,” a “whore,” and a “bastard” had to pay 1,600 euros.
Also important to know: Not only verbal insults can result in fines, as the
ACV
explains - but also written or pictorial ones.
There have already been fines for such stickers.
And even gestures can have extremely expensive consequences: the “stink finger” recently cost a driver in Berlin a whopping 1,800 euros.
In fact, it can also happen that an insult ultimately goes unpunished.
It always depends on the circumstances and the court’s assessment.
Such a case can occur, for example, if two people arguing insult each other.
According to §199 StGB, insults can be offset against each other.