AUSTRIA is preparing a law under which the police would confiscate not only the driver's license but also the car from drivers who significantly exceed the speed limit, it was announced in Vienna.

“Quite simply, there are too many people on our roads who cannot be persuaded, for whom fines and additional training do not work. These people must have their weapon taken away,” said Austrian Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler while presenting the draft law.

Repeat offenders could have their vehicle confiscated and sold at auction

Under the draft law, drivers who exceed the speed limit by 60 in urban areas or by 70 kilometers per hour outside urban areas would have their car confiscated on the spot for two weeks.

During that period, it should be checked whether this is a driver who has already been recorded for speeding. If it turns out that the driver has already committed drastic speeding violations, their car could be sold at auction.

In cases of speeding by 80 kilometers per hour in urban areas or 90 km/h outside urban areas, the car would be immediately seized and sold. This would apply, for example, to those drivers who on the motorway in Austria, where the highest permitted speed is 130 km/h, are caught driving at 220 km/h

The law could come into force next year

Minister Gewessler said that these measures serve to increase road safety.

“At the speeds being discussed here, no driver has full control over their car anymore,” she emphasized.

Authorities in Austria record 400 to 450 cases annually in which the new law could be applied. The law could come into force in the middle of next year.

Source: index.hr