SXC
A new study has revealed large disparities in speeding fines in Europe. Portugal is among the countries with the lower fines. In Scandinavia the fines are high and the rate of accidents is lower.
Speeding remains a major cause of road accidents. The faster it is driven, the less time is to react and the more difficult to control the vehicle in extreme situations.
Several studies show that in urban areas, increasing speed by just 1 km/h can raise the probability of accident by up to 4%.
Carvertical, a company that specializes in automobile data, did a study in 23 countries, including Portugal, with the objective of analyzing speeding fines and the number of vehicles damaged in each country.
The study sought to clarify if higher fines exercisein fact, a determineconsidering the financial weight they represent for drivers.
Higher fines = fewer accidents?
The study concluded that Portugal It is one of the European countries that Apply fines by relatively speeding casual.
According to the study, in Portugal, exceed the limit of up to 20 km/h within a locality It entails penalization is equivalent to about 5.3% monthly driver yield. It is not much when compared, for example, with the Nordic countries.
“In Europe, fines due to the speed limit of up to 15 km/h range from 10 € and more than 200 €. It is true that countries with higher fines tend to have fewer vehicles with damage records, but to driving culture also weighs – the tolerance of drivers in the face of infractions varies greatly from country to country, ”explains Matthew Buzelcar market specialist at Carvertical, in a statement sent by the company to ZAP.
Scandinavia: a case apart
Scandinavian countries – Sweden, Denmark and Finland – Apply relatively high fines compared to average income and register lowest damaged vehicle rates.
In Denmark, for example, exceeding the speed limit up to 15 km/h implies a 3000 DKK (about 402 EUR) – approximately 10% of the average salary monthly.
Na Finlandlight speed infractions are penalized with fixed fines, but the most serious cases – such as exceeding the limit at more than 20 to 25 km/h – implies fines proportional to the driver’s performance.
This system, known as the “daily fine”, causes the wealthier offenders to pay amounts high by the same infraction.
A few years ago, there was a media case in which a Finnish millionaire was fined 121,000 euros for driving at 30 km/h above the allowed limit.
And, Helsinchia, the capital of Finland, passed a whole year without a single death in traffic. .
In contrast, many countries of Central and east Europe apply relatively low speeding fines, associated with higher accident rates.
Na Polandfor example, the fine for exceeding the limit up to 15 km/h is 100 PLN (about 24 €), in Latonia is € 40 and in Slovakia 39 €. These penalties correspond to Only 1.6% to 3.3% of the average monthly salary in these countries.
However, more than half of the vehicles inspected in each of these countries recorded a history of damage, with Poland leading the list – with 62,1% of the cars had records of sinister.
Is it lacking “heavy hand” or other mindset?
Despite the relationship low fines – more accidents, Buzelis warns that the fines do not explain everything. THE mentality also counts: “Lower fines do not mean more infractions or accidents in themselves.”
“Countries like the United Kingdom, Germany and Spainwhich apply moderate fines, also have reduced rates of damaged vehicles. This reflects a significant degree of conscientialization of drivers – When they perceive the consequences of speeding, they adopt more responsible behaviors, ”he adds.
According to Matas Buzelis, drivers who exceed speed limits should be aware that not only risk large fines, but they can also provoke accidents with serious consequences.
The expert appeals to responsibility, remembering that no one should endanger their life or that of others unnecessarily.
