The Ministry of Transport has tabled an amendment to the Road Transport Act, altering the penalties for road offences including talking on the phone while driving and exceeding the speed limit, Czech TV reported on Saturday. Lesser penalties await drivers for more trivial offences. Photo: Stock photo / Freepik.
Czech Rep., May 25 (BD) – The amendment will reform the points system; drivers will now only be able to get two, four or six points deducted. The suspension of a driving license after twelve points remains unchanged. Drivers will now be able to receive their updated number of points via SMS or email.
The ministry, under Karel Havlíček (ANO), is also proposing an increase in fines. The penalty for holding a phone in your hand while driving will rise from CZK 1,000 to CZK 2,500 crowns, and the penalty for driving through a red light or crossing a railway when not permitted will increase by half, to CZK 5,000.
On the contrary, parking fines are to be reduced, from up to CZK 2,000 to CZK 1,500. The amendment also removes the right of police to confiscate driving licenses on the spot from drivers, until they have undergone a compulsory medical examination.
The Road Transport Amendment envisages that if a driver has a blood alcohol measure of 0.3 promile, they face a fine and a deduction of six points from their account. This rule remains the same as in the original law.
One of the novelties of the amendment is a “test driving license” aimed at new drivers, which can be suspended if the holder has six points deducted within two years of obtaining it. Statistically, the consequences of accidents involving new drivers are more serious than for other motorists.
Havlíček told ČT24 that the amendment will improve safety on Czech roads and lead to a reduction in the number of traffic accident fatalities.
The amendment to the law will be effective as of January 1st, 2022, if it passes a parliamentary vote.
