Austria raises traffic fines and targets surge in child road accidents

From 2026 Austria will apply uniform, higher penalties for traffic violations nationwide, adopting the highest existing state levels. Speeding fines in built‑up areas (50 km/h) will rise to €60 for up to 10 km/h over, €80 for 10‑15 km/h and €105 for 15‑20 km/h. On open roads (100 km/h) fines will be €50 for up to 10 km/h, €80 for 10‑20 km/h, €95 for 20‑25 km/h and €120 for 25‑30 km/h. Additional offences such as illegal parking (€60), blocking pedestrian crossings (€85), misuse of bike lanes (€80) and ignoring no‑entry signs (€110) will also be penalised more heavily.

In 2025 Upper Austria recorded a sharp increase in child road injuries – 640 children were injured, six of them fatally, the highest numbers since 2009. Most injuries involved children as passengers in cars. Police chief Matthias Osterkorn urges age‑appropriate restraints, school‑based safety education, reflective clothing, expanded 30 km/h zones, wider sidewalks, better bike routes and longer parking bans near crossings to protect vulnerable road users.