Last year, the traffic police reported or punished more than six million speeding violations and carried out almost 1.9 million alcohol tests.
Officers are increasingly catching drivers under the influence of drugs during checks, as the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
About 5.3 million of the 6,160,271 speeding violations last year were detected by radar devices. Another 580,000 drivers were tested using laser measuring devices. Around 270,000 women and men were caught by civilian patrols, section control systems or other types of surveillance. According to the Interior Ministry, this represents a new annual high and an increase of 0.6 percent compared to the previous year. In 2022, 6,120,825 violations were detected.
With the 34th amendment to the Road Traffic Act (StVO), since March 1st, the cars of extreme speeders can now be confiscated on the spot and subsequently auctioned. The package of measures launched by the Ministry of Transport and Climate Protection is aimed at serious offenses and speeding of more than 60 km/h in town and 70 km/h outside the town area.
“Most people follow the rules”
“The federal police are on duty 24 hours a day every day to ensure safety in traffic. The majority of road users drive considerately and follow the rules. The police will do everything they can to protect these road users from reckless speeders, pushers and alcohol – and to protect drug traffickers,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).
In the previous year, a total of 1,895,748 alcohol checks were carried out by the Federal Police – including breathalyzer tests, alcohol tests and medical examinations. An increase of 7.2 percent was also recorded in this area (2022: 1,768,730). However, the number of drunk driving reports fell from 32,875 in 2022 to 30,683 in the previous year. That’s a minus of 6.7 percent.
In addition, 8,676 drivers were reported for driving under the influence of drugs last year. This corresponds to a further increase of 15.7 percent. In 2022 there were 7,499. The Ministry of the Interior attributes the increase to improved training for law enforcement officers in the use of saliva pre-test devices tested in a pilot project to identify potential drug drivers, as well as the operational deployment of medical officers in key road traffic operations.
10 section control systems in use
There are currently ten stationary section control systems in use. In the previous year, mobile systems were also temporarily used in various construction site areas on motorways and expressways. In total there are currently 380 stationary and mobile radar devices available. A large part of the stationary systems are equipped with handlebar photo units.
The safety distance when driving behind one another was punished by the executive in 111,087 cases last year. This means a decrease of 8.9 percent compared to 121,883 cases in 2022. However, there was a significant increase of 14.4 percent in violations of the seatbelt requirement. In 101,089 cases, the belt used to secure the vehicle was not fastened or was not fastened correctly. 129,781 drivers were reported or punished on the spot for using the phone while driving without a hands-free system. Almost the same number of people were caught with their cell phone to their ear as in 2022; there was only a decrease of 0.6 percent.
7,979 reports of incorrect child seats
However, the Ministry of the Interior reported a drastic increase in complaints regarding a lack of child safety: 7,979 reports, which also result in an entry in the reservation system, are 13.8 percent more than in 2022. The figures show that it is necessary to raise awareness among vehicle drivers. said the ministry.
In the heavy transport sector, a total of 224,230 reports and penalty orders were filed during roadside inspections of trucks and buses in the previous year. In 2022 there were still 239,459. The most violations were related to technical vehicle defects in the body, brakes and tires (81,326 cases), followed by non-compliance with legal driving and rest time requirements (67,651 cases). Overloading (33,476) and inadequate load securing (5,449) were also issues for the police. In 28,198 cases, drivers of trucks and buses were banned from continuing their journey due to serious violations or defects or because of imminent danger. This represents an increase of 4.8 percent.
7,507 dangerous goods transports were inspected last year, and in 517 cases further travel was prohibited following the inspection. In 2022, 8,188 vehicles were inspected 551 times.
