The government’s plans to reform the criminal code have been clarified, with Green Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler announcing that drivers who drive beyond the speed limit could face on-the-spot vehicle confiscation.
Two years ago, Gewessler announced that the government would work towards reforming its criminal code so that speeding drivers are more severely punished.
On Monday, however, Gewessler told reporters that drivers caught speeding more than 60 km/h above the speed limit in towns and 70 km/h above the out-of-town speed limit could have their cars temporarily confiscated on the spot.
This is to “take away the murder weapon to protect all of us,” she said.
She added that after the temporary seizure, local authorities will have two weeks to decide whether the driver can recover the confiscated car.
While seizing citizen property is “not an easy task”, “if it can be done in other countries, it must also be possible in our country”, she said, citing Switzerland as an example.
However, unlike in Switzerland, auctioning off seized cars is not planned in Austria.
“We cannot interfere with the property rights of third parties,” explained the transport policy spokesperson of the conservative ÖVP, Andreas Ottenschläger.
“It’s about incorrigible speeders,” Gewessler affirmed.
Stefan Schnöll, in charge of traffic policy in Salzburg, spoke of the measure’s “preventative nature”, adding that “the car is a sanctuary for many”, especially for those who drive so fast.
(Nikolaus J. Kurmayer | EURACTIV.de)
Source: euractiv.com
