Drastic rise in speeding fines from September in Hungary

A new government decree appeared on the official government website. It would significantly increase speeding fines in Hungary from this September. According to the draft, all types of fines will rise next month.

According to hvg.hu, the fines will be the following sums from 1 September. In a 50 km/h speed limit road or area:

• 15 km/h overspeed: HUF 30 thousand (EUR 77.7) increases to HUF 39 thousand (EUR 99.7),
• 25 km/h overspeed: HUF 45 thousand (EUR 115) increases to HUF 58,500 (EUR 150),
• 35 km/h overspeed: HUF 60 thousand (EUR 153) increases to HUF 78 thousand (EUR 199),
• 45 km/h overspeed: HUF 90 thousand (EUR 230) increases to HUF 117 thousand (EUR 300),
• 55 km/h overspeed: HUF 130 thousand (EUR 332) increases to HUF 169 thousand (EUR 431),
• 65 km/h overspeed: HUF 200 thousand (EUR 511) increases to HUF 260 thousand (EUR 664),
• 75 km/h overspeed or more: HUF 300 thousand (EUR 766) increases to HUF 390 thousand (EUR 996).

That means the fee rise rate will be 30 percent. The fine sums are the same in all speed limit categories (50-100 km/h; >100 km/h). Not only speeding fines will rise from September by 30 percent. The modification concerns drunk driving with the following fine increases:

• 2000 cm3 or smaller engine: HUF 520 thousand (EUR 1329) from HUF 400 thousand
• Bigger than 2000 cm3 engines: HUF 1.04 million (EUR 2658) from HUF 800 thousand

Race-001. This was the plate number of the car causing fatal accident on Budapest’s Árpád B ridge killing an innocent cyclist. An unnamed participant of illegal speed races in Budapest told Blikk that their blood drives them. Will they stop because of the higher fines?

Not only speeding will cost more

Drivers commuting on the motorway’s hard shoulder will get a HUF 130 thousand (EUR 332) fine. Those breaking mandatory travel directions will pay HUF 65 thousand (EUR 166). Ignoring a no-entry sign will cost HUF 39 thousand (EUR 100). Entering a natural reserve area will be HUF 390 thousand (EUR 996).

The fine on producers will also increase by 30 percent. They will pay more e.g. if they write lower pollutant emission than the reality (EUR 2658), for a fake test report (EUR 996), or if they manipulate pollution emitting devices (EUR 2990).

The social debate about the draft started yesterday. The government waits for feedback until 10 August. Although it popped up before that János Lázár’s ministry thinks about modifying zero-tolerance concerning alcohol consumption, there is no reference to that in the paper.

Interested in Hungarian traffic news? HERE is an article about the Chain Bridge that will open earlier than calculated before. We wrote in THIS article about the many guest workers flooding Hungary’s motorways during the summer.