2025: Almost 500,000 Requests from Abroad Regarding Traffic Offences by Czech Drivers

Foreign authorities requested driver and vehicle owner data from the Czech Ministry of Transport around 500,000 times last year. The majority of these requests concerned Czech drivers exceeding speed limits abroad. Requests came especially frequently from Germany and Austria.

The Czech Ministry of Transport received 489,408 requests last year for driver and vehicle owner data. These concerned road users who had breached traffic regulations abroad. By far the largest number of requests came from Germany.

Authorities there recorded more than 213,000 traffic offences, according to a report by the news channel ČT24, which corresponds to over 43 per cent of all cases. Speeding was the most common offence, punishable in Germany with fines of several hundred euros. Austria submitted more than 124,000 requests. The numbers from the other two neighbouring countries were significantly lower: just under 13,000 requests came from Poland and only around 500 from Slovakia.

The requests and responses are handled via the EU-wide information system EUCARIS (European Car and Driving Licence Information System). The requests include not only the identification data of the vehicle owner or driver but also information about the specific offence. These include, among others, excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to wear a seatbelt, or running a red light. By far the most frequent reason Czech drivers are penalised abroad is speeding – last year, these offences accounted for more than 96 per cent of all cases, according to the news channel.

For years, most traffic offences by Czech drivers have been recorded in Germany. The country acts as an important transit area and has particularly intensive controls and a dense radar network. Austria is also among the countries where Czech drivers regularly come to attention. This is linked to popular travel destinations as well as business and holiday trips. The number of offences rises significantly in the summer months, as many journeys to Italy or Croatia pass through Germany and Austria.

In Austria, police already penalise minor excesses of one to two kilometres per hour above the measurement tolerance. In Germany, outside built-up areas, a speed excess of up to ten kilometres per hour carries a fine of €20. Exceeding the speed limit by more than 70 kilometres per hour can result in €700, a three-month driving ban, and two penalty points. Fines are even higher in urban areas. In Austria, in particularly serious cases, the vehicle can even be confiscated.