The Federal Council approved the new catalog of fines this Friday.

This provides for higher fines for traffic offenders such as speeders as well as for parking violations.

Cyclists and pedestrians should be better protected.

The changes go back to an agreement between the federal and state governments in April.

Long negotiations had preceded this.

Due to a formal error, stricter rules on fines in the new road traffic regulations were suspended last year.

The chairman of the Conference of Transport Ministers (VMK), Bremen's Senator Maike Schaefer (Greens) told the German Press Agency that the new regulations and the painful fines are a clear signal to drivers to adhere to speed limits.

“We know that excessive speed is the most common cause of accidents.

The catalog of fines and road traffic regulations are ultimately traffic-educational measures for mutual consideration. ”She praised the compromise found in April between the federal government and the states as a“ real breakthrough ”, in which they agreed on party colors.

These are the new regulations

The catalog of fines has become more and more comprehensive over time.

Now offenses are added again - and some sanctions are increased.

The specific new regulations of the catalog of fines:

  • According to the catalog, drivers who park their vehicles under the general no-stopping or parking ban will in future find a ticket under the windshield wiper of up to 55 euros instead of the previous 15 euros.

  • Anyone who drives 16 or 20 kilometers per hour (km / h) too fast in urban areas and is flashed will soon pay 70 euros instead of 35.

    In 1990, 100 Deutsche Mark (DM) were due for the offense.

    The penalty at that time is higher in comparison: Since the DM had a purchasing power of 0.84 euros in 1990, according to the Deutsche Bundesbank, that means: At that time, the equivalent of 84 euros had to be paid for driving too fast.

  • The faster, the more expensive: drivers who speed through the city at 91 km / h instead of the permitted 50 km / h pay 400 instead of 200 euros if they are caught, and so on. 

  • If you park unauthorized in a parking space for the disabled, you must expect a fine of 55 instead of the previous 35 euros.

  • Anyone who comes up with the idea of ​​parking an officially marked fire brigade access or obstructing an ambulance must expect a fine of 100 euros.

  • Brand new: Unauthorized parking in a parking lot for electrically powered vehicles and car sharing vehicles results in a fine of 55 euros.

  • Anyone who does not form an emergency lane or even uses one to get around faster with the car must expect a fine of between 200 and 320 euros and a month's driving ban.

  • Truck drivers who violate the newly introduced obligation to only drive the truck at walking pace when turning right in town will be asked to pay 70 euros.

  • The illegal use of sidewalks, cycle paths and hard shoulders by vehicles will be punished with a fine of up to 100 euros instead of up to 25 euros.

  • Attention Auto-Poser: The fine for causing unnecessary noise and avoidable exhaust emissions as well as annoying useless driving back and forth will be increased from up to 20 euros to up to 100 euros.

From the point of view of the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC), the fines provided for stopping on protective lanes, for stopping and parking on cycle lanes as well as failing to keep to the walking speed of trucks turning right are the measures that can make the greatest contribution to accident prevention.

Overall, the amendment was only a "triple step", said ADFC spokeswoman Stephanie Krone. "The StVO continues to give privileges to the car and prevents municipalities from quickly redesigning the roads to make them bike-friendly." That must change for reasons of climate protection and road safety. "Municipalities need the opportunity to create large areas of Tempo 30 and new protected cycle lanes on main roads, without bureaucratic hurdles." The new federal government must quickly reform the traffic law. "For this to work in the coming legislature, it has to start in the first 100 days," said Krone.

In the next step, Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) still has to sign the ordinance.

According to the ordinance, the changes to the catalog of fines will come into force three weeks after the announcement - for “sufficient preparation for practical implementation”.