Filenews 13 March 2022
As pedestrian as it sounds, a human life lost in a road accident costs many thousands of euros, according to studies by the European Union. These costs include medical expenses, the costs of insurance funds and the loss of productive capacity of people who have been seriously injured in a car accident. Therefore, a road accident is not only the human lives lost - which is of course the most important - but it is also the burden on the economy with several million a year, and these include the payment of pensions and compensation for hospitalizations, payments for the repair of damages and bodily injuries, etc., without taking into account the loss of labour, the additional employment at work to deal with the consequences of road accidents, i.e. medical staff, health care costs, police, experts, insurers, as well as other secondary costs (judicial, travel, etc.) that should be taken into account in the burden on the economy. The World Bank reports that the annual financial cost of road accidents amounts to 1-3% of each state's GDP. A sum of €160 billion is quoted in the EU annually, equivalent to 2% of the EU's GDP.
At a time when road accidents are increasing or at least happening at regular intervals, it is of particular interest what are the fines for violating the Highway Code and what is applied in each country. Each state in Europe sets its own fines, which respond to its own data and priorities. In some countries the driver who breaks the law puts his hand deep in his pocket, in others the authorities get the driver's license with the first one - for serious violations - and in others the fines are a "caress".
According to the research of "F", in each country there are differences in penalties, both for the speed limit and the use of alcohol before and while driving, as well as for the use of a mobile phone while driving. In fact, due to the fact that accidents are a Pan-European problem, each country regularly revises the Highway Code to the strictest.
In relation to alcohol peculiarities exist in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. In Finland they take the driver's license for 15 days or more, depending on how much alcohol there is in the blood. In Sweden, the withdrawal of a license starts from 40 days and goes up depending on the alcohol present in the driver's blood. In Denmark, if the driver exceeds the permissible alcohol limit, he again attends driving lessons, which he pays for himself.
In Malta, the fine for a driver who has consumed alcohol starts from €1,200. In Great Britain the fine can be up to €5,000. If there is a second consecutive violation of the limits of alcohol in the blood, within 10 years, then the withdrawal of the driving license ranges from 36-60 months. In Greece, if there is a 2nd consecutive violation of the alcohol limits, with a level greater than 60mg / l in the exhaled air, then the fine amounts to €2,000 and / or imprisonment of 6 months and / or withdrawal of driving license for 5 years. In Switzerland the fine depends on the financial situation of the driver and can reach several thousand euros.
Mobile phone
An innovative way to discourage those who use their mobile phone while driving is being implemented by the Italian Police. The competent bodies recruited policemen in civilian clothes, who move on motorcycles and scooters in the big cities. Their aim is to identify offenders and impose the fine on them immediately. The fine for irregular use of a mobile phone in Italy is €165 and five penalty points on the driving licence. If within two years the driver commits the same offence, then the license is deducted from one to three months.
In France it is forbidden to speak, send or read messages or use any app when the car is in motion. If someone wants to be sure that he will not pay a fine of €135, the car should be parked in a normal parking space with the engine switched off.
In Greece, drivers of vehicles who use a mobile phone on the move, without wireless headphones or without it being placed in a special place for open hearing, are punished by the on-the-spot removal of the registration data and the driving licence, from the person certifying the violation, for 60 days. Also, the fine for the use of a mobile phone by the driver, while the vehicle is on the move, is €100.
Speed limit
Another common cause for a fine is a violation of the speed limit. The legislation varies from country to country. The cheapest country in case the driver exceeds the limit up to 20 km / hr is Lithuania. The fine is €10, but if the excess is more than 20 km the fine becomes €450.
The most bitter fine is in Norway, which starts from €400 and for each excess up to 50 km / hr the fine can reach €900. In Finland, if there is an excess of more than 20 km per hour, the fine is €200. In Switzerland, if the driver exceeds 20 km the licence can be withdrawn for 60 days as a minimum. The fine starts from €165.
Fines in Austria for exceeding the speed limit in cities range from €29 to over €2,100! In particular, if a radar photographs a vehicle moving within the city with more than 20 km from the limit the fine ranges from €29 to €50. Similarly, if the photo shows that the driver was moving at 50 km above the limit then the fine goes up to €300. But if the radar confirms that the offending driver moved at 51 km. above the limit then the fine can exceed even €2,100 and the license plates and registration certificate of the vehicle can be removed for 6 weeks.
Fines in Germany for exceeding the speed limit are variable and depend on the extra mileage that the offending driver moves at. If the traffic police finds that someone was moving at 10 km. above the speed limit then the fine at the moment is around €30. But if the driver is "caught" moving within the city with 35 km. above the limit then the fine amounts to €160 and removal of the plates and registration certificate for 1 month. The highest fine for speeding within the city is €280 and 2 months removal of license plates and license and concerns traffic with a speed of up to 60 km. above the limit.
Red traffic light
One of the most classic driver violations. The strictest country for this offence is Finland, where the diploma is withdrawn for 10 days or more. In Britain the fine can be over €1,000. In Germany, fines start from the amount of €90, which concerns the violation of the red. From then on, the fines increase both in terms of the amount and the bans imposed on the driver. For example, if the driver passes a red traffic light at risk, the fine is €200, two penalty points on the license and withdrawal of the driver's license for one month.
Fines in Cyprus
In Cyprus, the fine imposed out of court for exceeding the speed limit up to 30% is a €2/km fine and 1-3 penalty points, exceeding the speed limit up to 50% €3/km and 2-4 penalty points, exceeding the speed limit up to 75% €5/km and 3-6 penalty points.
Regarding alcohol, alcohol ratio of 22-35μg/100ml: €125 fine and 1-3 penalty points, exhalation alcohol ratio 36-55mg/100ml: €250 fine and 3-6 degrees penalty, alcohol expiration ratio 56-70mg/100ml: €500 fine and 4-8 penalty points, 22-35mg/100ml: 1 month's imprisonment and/or up to €1,500 fine and driving license deprivation up to 3 months.
Driving under the influence of drugs: up to 3 years imprisonment and/or €8,000 fine and/or driving licence deprivation for 3 years. Conviction for combination: Speed with alcohol and/or drugs: up to 4 years imprisonment and/or €15,000 fine.
Driving without a third party liability policy: €200 fine and 3-6 penalty points, driving with no free hands (mobile phone): €150 fine and 2-4 penalty points In case of repetition of the offense within 3 years: the penalties are doubled.
Rules applicable in all EU countries
Seat belts must be used on all vehicles, including coaches and minibuses, in all EU countries. Cars/lorries and, if possible, other vehicles must have special restraints for children. In most EU countries it is forbidden to use a mobile phone while driving without an open-hearing device. The maximum permitted level of alcohol in the blood varies. Some countries do not allow any alcohol in the blood while driving. Different speed limits apply to different types of roads and vehicles. Different safety equipment is required for cars and motorcycles. In some countries it is mandatory to use daytime running lights and/or to use winter tyres.
