Some say speed kills. Others justfind it annoying. But a proposal in Austria would make the consequences of speeding far more than just annoying.ANSAreports new proposed speeding penalties that could include impoundment, confiscation, and even auctioning off the vehicles of the most egregious offenders. This comes on top of recently passed legislation that already extends license suspension periods for speeding offenses.
Drastic Measures
Under this proposal, the penalties would get more progressively more severe as the speed increases. Austrian speed limits are typically 50 km/h (31 mph) in the city, and 130 km/h (80 mph) outside cities. Motorists exceeding these limits up to speeds of 110 km/h (68 mph) in the city, or 200 km/h (124 mph) outside the city, could have their vehicles impounded for up to two weeks.
The penalties get even worse from there. A repeat offender caught exceeding 130 km/h (80 mph) in the city or 220 km/h (136 mph) outside of town would face forfeiture of their vehicle, which would then be sold at auction.
A Hard Line
“At the speeds we’re talking about, nobody has full control of their vehicle,” Austria Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler told a press conference according to ANSA. “The car becomes an uncontrollable weapon and a danger to other completely innocent people.”
Anyone who has taken advanced rider training or done a track day knows that speed, in itself, is not the real danger. Once you know what you’re doing, you can have a surprising amount of control over your vehicle at high speeds, and motorcycles are no exception. The dangers come from the uncontrolled environment of the street, where too many random factors make such speeds unsafe.
Most of us would agree that blasting through city streets at 68 mph, or down the highway at 124 mph, is excessive. However, there is no lower limit to impoundment option besides the speed limit itself. In theory, if you get busted going 5 km/h (3 mph) over the limit, you could face having your ride impounded for two weeks. That would be up to law enforcement’s discretion. As I recently learned when switching from my slow KLR to my not-so-slow V-Strom 650, it doesn’t take more than a momentary flick of the wrist to accidentally send yourself into confiscation territory.
