Transport rules: New fines for cyclists, pedestrians catalog

As of today, much higher fines and driving bans for speeding drivers, illegal Parkers and other traffic offenders will apply.

The aim is to make the traffic, especially in urban areas for pedestrians and cyclists safer, and to promote eco-friendly drives.

The amendment to the road traffic act also provides for a stricter system of penalties for traffic violations outside of the towns.

“The new rules strengthen, in particular, vulnerable road users,” said transport Minister, Andreas Scheuer (CSU), the German press Agency. In addition to the protection for cyclists, there are also advantages for car sharing so, together, used cars and cars with electric drive.

Fines up to ban

A few examples of the new rules: Who’s driving in a traffic jam illegally through an emergency lane for emergency vehicles, then a ban of up to 320 Euro fine, a month of driving and two points will be punished in the fitness to drive, the registry, so in “Flensburg”,.

Protection strip for cyclists at the road edge must not be kept, otherwise up to 100 Euro penalty and a point to threaten.

Also, the unauthorized use of sidewalks, the left-side bike paths and side strips will be punished – instead of, as previously, with 25 Euro up to 100 Euro fine.

And who can according to the Motto of the hit song by pop singer Markus Mörl “I want fun, I’ll grind up the Gas,” only 21 km/h too fast through the speed trap, go to in the future, to walk home, the driver’s license is a month away.

WerFahrräder outdated, you need to keep in place in the future, at least 1.5 meters of distance, extra-urban 2-Meter – only a “sufficient page was prescribed for distance”. These include stricter rules for Parking to come to dangerous intersections. Parking for E-cars and car-sharing cars can easier be identified.

New regulations in the criticism

In the case of ADAC, the FDP, and especially the AfD, the new rules have encountered some sharp criticism. “Motorists need to know: speed violations are assigned to both rural or urban much earlier with a driving ban, regardless of the risk situation and without sufficient differentiation,” said ADAC traffic President Gerhard Hillebrand of the German press Agency.

FDP-traffic expert Oliver Luksic said that the new schedule of fines for the lack “in part, to the doctrine of the mean”. It is inconvenient to the disabled Parking wrong in a Parking lot for electric cars, as well to punish such as in a Parking lot for difficult – for both of Tuesday to 55 euros will be charged.

And that, in the future, a one-month driving ban threatens, when one is extra urban caught with 26 kilometers per hour too fast, was “impractical and excessive”.

The AfD spoke of a “fine catalogue of terror”. Thousands of motorists would be criminalized””, explained the transport policy spokesman of the AfD group in the Bundestag, Dirk Spaniel.

A local speed limit is exceeded by 21 km/h – which could happen in case of a sudden Reach a Tempo-30-Zone to temporarily change to a one-month driving ban, and wrote a Spaniel.

Professional drivers or craftsmen threatened, then, in addition to a fine of 80 euros and a driving ban, which often leads to a dismissal. The club mobile in Germany, called the new rules a “driver’s license-destruction machine”.

Right direction for the protection of cyclists

The green traffic expert Stefan yellow hair welcomed, however, the increase in the fines, in principle, criticised, however, that the new rules would help the foot and Bicycle traffic only very little. There is a lack of facilities for the introduction of 30 kph in cities and municipalities.

Traffic safety zones, in which only trucks are likely to enter, which have a cornering wizard, don’t be also in sight. Scheuer was also given the Corona-pandemic in the duty, quickly repair it.

“Right now, more space for wheel – and foot traffic is necessary, the current distance of the commandments at all to adhere”, emphasized the yellow hair.

The President of the Deutsche Verkehrswacht (DVW), Kurt Bodewig, welcomed in large Parts of the changes: “in The protection of Cyclists, the amendment goes in the right direction. Even tougher penalties in the rescue lane can help emergency responders are faster at the scene of the accident.”

The trade Union of police (GdP) evaluated the increase in the fines to be positive. The GdP’s have already commented, in the past, critical for the international comparison of low height of the so-called Discount-fines in this country, said the Vice-GdP-Federal Chairman Dietmar a large area of reeds.

To expect more court hearings

The unionists, however, pointed out that the tightening of sanctions could also lead to the possibility of more work.

“If, in the future, already in the case of lesser infringements of the loss of the licence looming, it is expected that the number of appeals and complaints against administrative fines and orders bans – and thus ultimately also the number of court procedures in matters of traffic violations”, pointed out a large area of reeds.

This should not lead to the police employees of the traffic monitoring, which are mostly charged already very strong, in the future more time “would have to spend at a Desk” or in lengthy court proceedings with the processing of, in practice, often very distinct offences.

The environmental organization Greenpeace took the new regulation to encourage municipalities to call on the road space otherwise shared.

“With the new rules for the road transport, cities can create easier and faster with more space for Cycling and pedestrians,” said Greenpeace transport expert Marion Tiemann. “Now you must take advantage of these opportunities.”

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)

*The contribution of “rules of the road: a New catalog of fines to cyclists, pedestrians, protect & the environment” published by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.