Austria implements drastic measures to combat reckless driving

In order to curb dangerous driving behaviours, Austria has implemented a new law that permits the confiscation and sale of vehicles belonging to drivers who excessively exceed speed limits. This stringent measure, which came into effect on March 1, 2024, targets what officials call “super-speeders” and aims to reduce the rising number of road fatalities in the country.

Vera Hofbauer, Austria’s director general of transportation, explained the rationale behind this drastic policy in a recent interview. She emphasised that while minor speeding might be socially acceptable, extreme speeding is viewed as a serious threat to public safety. The law applies to drivers who exceed speed limits by 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) or more within city limits, and 70 km/h (44 mph) or more outside cities.

For first-time offenders, vehicles are initially impounded for two weeks. However, repeat offenders or those caught at even higher speeds face permanent confiscation and the sale of their vehicles. On highways with a typical speed limit of 130 km/h (81 mph), drivers would need to reach speeds of 220 km/h (137 mph) to trigger confiscation on a first offence.

The implementation process involves immediate impoundment of the vehicle upon detection of extreme speeding. Within two weeks, authorities decided whether to permanently confiscate the vehicle based on the evidence collected. Hofbauer stressed that the policy is not aimed at drivers who slightly exceed speed limits but rather at those who use their cars “like a weapon.”

Interestingly, the law also addresses scenarios where the offending driver is not the vehicle owner. In such cases, while the car may not be confiscated, the driver is permanently banned from operating that specific vehicle.

This initiative draws inspiration from similar policies in other European countries, such as Switzerland, which has been confiscating cars from extreme speeders for over a decade. It also aligns with broader European efforts to enhance road safety, including Finland’s income-scaled speeding tickets and the EU’s mandate for Intelligent Speed Assist systems in new cars.

In contrast to these stringent European measures, the United States has taken a more lenient approach to speeding, relying primarily on police enforcement and public awareness campaigns. This disparity is reflected in road fatality statistics, with an American being three times more likely to die in a crash compared to an Austrian.

While it’s too early to quantify the impact of Austria’s new law on crash rates, Hofbauer reports that it has already been enforced multiple times since its inception. She believes the policy will effectively reduce crashes by making drivers consider the severe consequences of their actions.

The Austrian public has largely accepted this measure, viewing it as a necessary step to combat a serious safety issue. Despite initial concerns from driving clubs, there has been minimal pushback against the policy, reflecting a societal intolerance for extreme speeding.