Mobile phone while driving: Higher penalties and stricter measures urgently needed

Over 4,600 drivers in Vorarlberg were prosecuted for using cell phones while driving last year. According to VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky, the €100 fine imposed for this is "disproportionate to the risk to the health and lives of other road users."

The Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) is calling on the federal government to take concrete measures: Using a cell phone while driving should be included in the warning system, as is already common practice in most EU countries. The VCÖ is also advocating for higher fines.

Compared to other European countries, Austrian fines are actually quite low. In Italy, using a cell phone while driving costs at least €165, and in Spain €200. Fines are even higher in Greece, at €350, and in the Netherlands, at €430.

Only about two years ago, the fines for these offenses in Austria were increased from 50 to 100 euros. However, as Rudolf Salzgeber, head of the Vorarlberg traffic police, explained to ORF Vorarlberg in April, this amount still does not seem to be a sufficient deterrent.

The statistics prove him right: Last year, with more than 3,800 fines and nearly 850 complaints, a similar number of drivers were fined as in previous years. Although the fines are generally paid without objection and there is widespread awareness of the ban, behavior has barely changed.

The police consistently pursue violations, emphasizes Salzgeber. Due to the numerous accidents caused by it, using a cell phone while driving is no longer considered a minor offense.