Traffic: More freedom for the courts
NEW FROM OCTOBER 1 The Federal Council has enacted the first package of amendments to the Road Traffic Act. It concerns the sanctioning of speeding offenses and also adjustments to the withdrawal of the driver's license.
In the spring session of 2023, Parliament approved amendments to the Road Traffic Act that will be introduced in a staggered manner. The first package, which has now been enacted by the Federal Council, involves measures that can be implemented without major expense.
More discretion
In the future, speeding offenses will continue to be sanctioned with a minimum prison sentence of one year and a driver's license suspension of two years. However, the courts will now have more discretion to take into account the circumstances of the individual case and avoid unnecessary hardship. If the offender is still blameless, the court can impose a sentence of less than one year's imprisonment. In that case, the duration of the deprivation can also be reduced to one year.
Driving license on probation
If a probationary driver's license holder commits a minor offense, the probationary period will now neither be extended nor will the driver's license be cancelled. The probationary period will only be extended by one year if the probationary driver's license is revoked for committing a medium or serious offense. The probationary driver's license expires if another medium or serious offense is committed during the probationary period.
Driving with blue light exception
The penalties for disproportionate violations of traffic regulations by drivers of police, fire, ambulance or customs vehicles on urgent or tactically necessary official journeys must now be reduced. In addition, only the difference to the speed that would have been appropriate for the operation and no longer that to the signalized maximum speed is judged. The legal minimum duration of the driver's license suspension can also be undercut.
