72 percent of all drivers are speeding at 30 km/h

2023-11-07 09:00:00

In addition to the official speed measurements by the police, the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KfV) also checks whether the speed limits are being adhered to. There are 23 million such measurements using side radar devices every year, according to a press release on Tuesday.

It was found that 72 percent of cars drive too fast in 30 km/h zones. However, the board of trustees is in favor of a 30 km/h speed limit in the local area; 50 km/h should only be an exception.

6 million speeding violations punished

According to the KfV, 6.12 million speeding violations were reported or punished as criminal penalties in Austria in 2022 – a new record. However, the KfV speed measurements at a total of 230 measuring points suggest improved traffic discipline among the population: “Since our surveys began in 1984, the number of free-driving cars that exceed the respective speed limits of 30 km/h, 50 km/h and 70 km/ h, has fallen slowly but steadily,” says Klaus Robatsch, head of the traffic safety department at the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KfV), regarding the measurements primarily carried out in the local area and on conventional open-air roads. This is also where by far the most traffic accidents occur; in 2022, around 65 percent of all traffic accidents with fatalities or injuries occurred in the local area, 30 percent on other open roads, and the remaining five percent on motorways.

“From the KfV’s point of view, a very effective measure to reduce the risk of accidents would be a reversal of the rule in the local area. This means: 30 km/h as a general speed limit in the local area and only if road safety permits it can the responsible authorities set the maximum permissible speed to 50 km/h,” suggested Robatsch. The KfV also advocates including speeding violations in the reservation system and revoking the driver’s license if the speed limit is lower than before. Currently, this only happens in the local area if you drive 40 km/h too fast. In 30 km/h zones, the driving license is currently only revoked from 70 km/h, according to the KfV.