Frightening figures

2411 speeders are caught by the police every day

Police officers keep a close eye on speeding drivers.

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

Speeding is probably a trivial offense for many drivers in Upper Austria - this and other exciting facts are revealed by the police. Last year, officers caught an average of 2411 speeding drivers every day.

On Wednesday, a man from Pasching sped through the Linz area at 132 km/h on his brother's motorcycle. The bike was then temporarily confiscated. However, the extreme speeding driver is by no means an isolated case, as can be seen from the police annual report from last year, which is available to the "Krone".

880,028 speeding violations
In 2023, the officers of the provincial traffic department measured a total of 880,028 speeding violations in Upper Austria alone. That's the equivalent of 2411 speeders caught every day. Deliberately speeding seems to be part of everyday life for many drivers, and the number was similarly high in 2022.

Police officers have their hands full on the roads. In addition to alcohol and drug tests (above), they also carry out speed checks.

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

3843 had to hand in their license
In addition, last year saw an increase in seatbelt violations (20,402 cases), child restraint (1520) and prohibited use of cell phones while driving (22,645). In addition, 4731 drivers were reported for alcohol impairment, and 1524 drivers were found to be driving under the influence of drugs in Upper Austria. These alarmingly high figures are also reflected in the number of driving licenses and moped ID cards taken: 3843 had to surrender their license.

Every fourth police officer is now a woman
But there is also good news: 4429 officers are currently deployed in Upper Austria to ensure compliance with all laws - the state police directorate was pleased to report a "new record level of staffing". And the profession is also becoming increasingly attractive for women: the proportion rose from 23.2% to 26.5% last year - in other words, every fourth police officer in Upper Austria is a woman.