The car itself maintains a speed of 80 km/h.
Darkness falls.
High beam on the highway.
And then a drone in the middle of the quiet commute from east to west.
The car overtakes me at such a high speed that I don’t manage to register what it is until it has passed.
Suddenly another one comes from behind. Now the aerials are out and I see a gray VW Golf whiz by and up the side of the other.
I set my eye on the license plate.
Ringer 114.
Does not even register a single letter. Then they are gone.
The rest of the way home, I fear being the first on the scene to see the result of the race in the ditch or worse. Fortunately, it didn’t happen that day.
Now the police seize the car
Had the North Jutland Police caught them, they might have been charged with reckless driving – and had the cars confiscated, just like the Norwegian Shakhwan, who drove 236 km/h in his brand new Lamborghini.
And precisely stories about street races, lightning-fast motorway driving and risky driving through the city fill the media, but in reality the vast majority of crazy drivers in North Jutland have been guilty of something completely different. This is shown by an inspection of documents that Nordjyske has obtained from the National Police.
Since 1 April 2021, when a new law came into force, you could risk losing your vehicle if you drive recklessly.
From that date up to and including 23 October this year, North Jutland Police have laid charges 338 times. And of those, only 24% relate to speed.
On the other hand, the biggest culprit is spirits. Two thirds of the charges are for driving with a blood alcohol level above 2.0. 13% of the offenses are other types of reckless driving.
– It shows that our control exists rightly and that we are doing well in that respect. It is frightening that there are so many people who are caught with such a high blood alcohol level, says Hjalte Heldbo, who is police commissioner at North Jutland Police.
If you dive into the numbers, you can also see that women drive significantly nicer than men. Only 11% of the crazy drivers on the roads in North Jutland are female, while it is actually two percentage points more nationally, and as much as 14% in the Central and West Jutland Police District, to which Thisted and Morsø Municipalities belong.
Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans
Both throughout the country and in North Jutland, there is a large preponderance of women in their 40s. At the same time, young men under the age of 30 are overrepresented in the statistics.
And that this is the case, again happens together with the consumption of alcohol, assesses the police commissioner.
– When women are caught for reckless driving, it is often alcohol, while for the young men it is about risk-taking behavior and high speed.
In October, TV2 could tell that a large minority of crazy drivers in Denmark have foreign citizenship.
Nationally, more than one in four does not have a beet-red Danish passport, but in North Jutland this applies to less than one in five accused persons. Most foreigners charged come either from our Nordic neighboring countries or Eastern Europe.
At North Jutland Police, the officers have not noticed the nationalities of the offenders.
– It’s not something we’ve jumped over, but my guess is that it could be due to cultural differences, where there are some countries where, for example, drink driving is more acceptable, explains Hjalte Heldbo.
Despite the fact that the law will soon be four years behind it, most people are still surprised when the police seize the car.
– It is my clear opinion that it really gets behind people. They often stand back wide-eyed when we tell them that we are taking their car. It is hard, we have fresh examples of that, says the police commissioner.
– Even though the car may not always have a great value in kroner and dollars, they can be left behind and have lost their primary means of transport.
Also confiscates borrowed cars
But not everyone is completely unaware of the consequences.
– Elsewhere, however, we can see that people are aware of the new law. We have tried several times to come out to confiscate a car that has been flashed by an ATK (photo van, ed.), and then the car has already been sold and re-registered, he says.
And immediately makes the job more complicated for the officers.
– We can’t drive out there and take it from the new owner, so it obviously seems as if they have speculated on getting rid of the vehicle as soon as possible.
At the same time, Hjalte Heldbo points out that the new law also makes certain demands on the owner of the car if you lend it out, because initially the vehicle will be confiscated – even if it does not belong to the person behind the wheel.
– But it will always be a matter of assessment. If you have lent your car to someone who drives crazy, and it would put you in a completely untenable situation to lose it, then it will be returned to the real owner. But of course we still punish the driver.
2024-11-08 18:10:00
#drive #madly #North #Jutland #roads #lose #car
**Interview with Hjalte Heldbo, Police Commissioner, North Jutland Police**
**Editor:** Good morning, Hjalte. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the recent trends in reckless driving since the new law was introduced in Denmark.
**Hjalte Heldbo:** Good morning! Thank you for having me.
**Editor:** The statistics reveal that a significant portion of reckless driving cases in North Jutland involve alcohol rather than speed. Can you elaborate on that?
**Hjalte Heldbo:** Absolutely. Since the law took effect in April 2021, we’ve documented 338 reckless driving charges, and an alarming two-thirds of those relate to driving under the influence, specifically with blood alcohol levels above 2.0. This indicates a serious issue regarding alcohol consumption and driving safety in our region.
**Editor:** Those numbers are concerning, especially considering the consequences of such behavior. How does this breakdown compare between genders in terms of reckless driving?
**Hjalte Heldbo:** Interestingly, while women constitute only about 11% of those charged with reckless driving in North Jutland, they are often linked to cases of alcohol-related offenses. On the other hand, young men under 30 are frequently associated with high speeds and risk-taking behaviors. It highlights distinct patterns in reckless driving habits based on gender and age groups.
**Editor:** It appears that cultural differences may also play a role in reckless driving offenses committed by foreign nationals. What insights do you have about this?
**Hjalte Heldbo:** That’s correct. Our statistics show that a considerable minority of offenders are from abroad. Many come from Nordic countries or Eastern Europe. While we haven’t specifically investigated the nationalities of offenders, it’s likely that varying cultural attitudes toward drinking and driving are a factor.
**Editor:** With the law now nearly four years old, do you think the message about the serious consequences of reckless driving is getting through to the public?
**Hjalte Heldbo:** I believe that awareness is increasing, but there’s still a surprising number of individuals who are taken aback when their vehicles are seized for reckless driving. We continue our efforts in public education and enforcement to ensure that drivers understand the potential consequences of their actions.
**Editor:** Thank you, Hjalte, for sharing these valuable insights with us today. It seems there is still much work to do in tackling reckless driving and promoting safer road habits.
**Hjalte Heldbo:** Thank you for having me. It’s a crucial conversation, and I hope we can continue to make strides toward safer roads in North Jutland and beyond.
