
Fatalities from speeding-related accidents have fallen by half since new regulations were introduced in March, allowing police to confiscate vehicles, the Austrian Road Safety Board (KfV) reported on Tuesday.
The announcement follows an incident over the weekend in Vienna’s 10th district, Favoriten, where a driver was caught travelling at 116 km/h in a 30 km/h zone. The driver now faces the possibility of having their car seized.
“In the first half of the year, there was a 50% reduction in fatalities from speeding-related accidents. If this trend continues, we can conclude that this measure has been a complete success,” said Armin Kaltenegger of the KfV. He is confident that the threat of vehicle confiscation acts as a significant deterrent.
Since March 1, Austrian police have had the authority to confiscate the cars of speeding drivers, provided they are travelling at least 60 km/h in a built-up area or 70 km/h outside such areas.
In Vienna alone, police have confiscated ten cars since the new rules came into effect.
On Sunday, the Interior Ministry released figures showing the number of road accident fatalities this year. In Vienna, the number fell from twelve to seven compared to 2022, while across Austria, fatalities decreased from 216 to 164, although not all deaths were due to speeding.