Fines for road offenses will increase fivefold to CZK 25,000
Update: 18/07/2022 14:42
Issued by: 18/07/2022, 14:40
Prague – Fines for serious traffic offenses could increase to 25,000 crowns from 2024, i.e. up to five times the current amount. The criminal body, on the other hand, in some cases will decrease and unite to six. The draft amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which the Ministry of Transport is heading for a comment procedure, takes this into account. Other innovations include the possibility to drive a car from the age of 17 under supervision or a driver’s license for a new holder for a two-year test. This was announced today by representatives of the Ministry of Transport at a press conference.
The draft law is based on the draft that the ministry prepared in the last election period, but now it reflects more the statistics of the seriousness of traffic accidents. “In particular, we are adding to the law the possibility to drive a vehicle under the supervision of a mentor from the age of 17 and a test driving license, which will apply to all new drivers in the first two years,” said Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS).
The possibility to drive a personal car under the supervision of a mentor from the age of 17 is supposed to contribute to greater safety on the roads. The point is to acquire driving skills under the supervision of an experienced chauffeur. A mentor who is reported to the traffic office for breach of duty will face a fine of up to CZK 25,000. From the age of 18, a young driver will be able to drive alone.
The test driving license is a preventive measure for a novice driver. If he commits a six-point offense two years after obtaining his driver’s license or his driver’s license is revoked for a serious lecture, he will have to undergo a traffic psychological and so-called evaluation drive. It will be a four-hour lesson on the cause of traffic accidents and how to prevent them, as well as four hours of theory and driving in a driving school.
The existing system of penalty points should be simplified from five rates to three, it would be two, four or six points. For example, for driving under the influence of alcohol, it will be six points instead of the current seven, but the driver will pay a fine in administrative proceedings of up to 25,000 CZK instead of up to 20,000 today. If you refuse the alcohol test, you can be fined up to CZK 75,000. In addition to alcohol, a maximum of six penalty points and a fine of CZK 25,000 can also be imposed for exceeding the speed limit by 50 or 40 km/h outside the municipality and in the municipality, entering a railway crossing or not running a red light. The on-the-spot fine is doubled to CZK 5,000 for serious offences.
To reduce fines for minor offences, such as the prohibition of stopping and standing, failure to turn on lights, forgetting documents or exceeding the speed limit by up to ten km/h, where the upper limit on the spot will be reduced from CZK 2,000 to CZK 1,500 and the penalty points they don’t write.
The novelties in the Road Traffic Act will also make it possible to request information about the driver’s points account electronically or at the office from the expected validity of the changes in 2024. It will allow a better overview of the punishments given, and at the same time the driver can monitor the limit of 12 points, after reaching which his driver’s license is taken away for a specified period.