New traffic law

How municipalities deal with the new traffic law

Municipalities will soon be able to implement 30 km/h zones more easily at critical locations.

(Bild: zVg)

Howling engines versus safety: in two weeks, municipalities will be able to implement 30 km/h zones more easily. Some have already done so - without "driving over" the citizens. Three examples of many where the upcoming regulation would make sense and where it has been implemented in an exemplary manner in an entire municipality.

From July 1, the motto in many places will be: Slow down. Mayors will then be able to set up 30 km/h zones in a simpler way by amending the road traffic regulations.

"Surprise effect" 30 km/h zone in Kapellerfeld
This is already being increasingly enforced in particularly sensitive areas: for example in the Kapellerfeld district of Gerasdorf near Vienna, where many drivers are initially unaware of the newly installed signs. A "surprise action" that has been commented on with much displeasure, especially in the social media.

Critical voices are already appearing here: "You can't get out of 1st gear. In a year's time, there will be new complaints about the noise," says one local resident.

Proximity to schools, through traffic: Enzersfeld residents hope that the new traffic amendment will be applied.

(Bild: SPÖ)

Details of the new traffic amendment

An amendment to the law will make it easier for mayors to take measures to improve road safety from July 1, 2024. These changes will allow, for example, the introduction of a 30 km/h speed limit in front of schools or kindergartens to be implemented more quickly and without the previous bureaucratic hurdles.

In addition, mayors will be given the authority to carry out speed checks to ensure compliance with speed limits.

"Cars speed through here and schoolchildren cycle alongside"
In Enzersfeld, district of Korneuburg, people have been calling for a speed limit for years: "Abbot Benno Street in particular is a popular shortcut to avoid having to drive through the town," explains Helga Ronge. "However, the Kinderfreunde house and the elementary school are on this route," says the SPÖ local councillor: "When they meet feeder traffic and children cycling, it often leads to precarious situations."

Citizens consulted first, then experts consulted too
In Hollabrunn, they immediately stepped on the gas and declared two thirds of the roads in the entire city area, including the cadastral municipalities, to be 30 km/h zones. However, the decision was not made without those affected: For three years now, the mood has been canvassed at mayors' meetings - the response was positive. And even then, a traffic planner was brought in to optimize the zones.