The vehicle was taken from a high-speed driver in Vorarlberg and now went under the hammer via a Dorotheum online auction. This was reported by “Der Standard” (online) on Thursday.
The starting price of the 110 hp car, which was described as “in need of thorough overhaul or repair” and “without any guarantee for traffic and operational safety”, was 2,000 euros; on October 2nd, the hammer price was 6,800 euros. According to the law, 70 percent of the proceeds go to the Austrian Road Safety Fund, 30 percent to the local authority that has to bear the costs of the criminal authorities, in this specific case the state of Vorarlberg. According to the report, the driver was traveling at 153 km/h instead of 80 km/h outside the local area. The car was subsequently confiscated, initially provisionally and then by the authorities. This was followed by a forfeiture procedure and the auction.
133 vehicles confiscated so far
Since March 1, 2024, based on the 34th amendment to the Road Traffic Act (StVO), speeders can have their vehicle confiscated on the spot if they exceed the speed limit and subsequently auctioned off. The law provides for the temporary confiscation of vehicles if the maximum permitted speed is exceeded by more than 60 km/h in the local area or by more than 70 km/h outside the local area.
According to “Standard” research, 133 vehicles have been temporarily confiscated in Austria so far. Within 14 days, it will be checked whether the requirements for permanent confiscation have been met, such as whether the driver owns the vehicle or whether it is a rental or leased car and whether the speed measurement was carried out correctly. In most cases, the cars had to be returned; the authorities can then only obtain a driving ban for the car in question. A total of 13 vehicles have been permanently accepted in Austria so far. Further vehicle auctions are likely to follow.
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