If you are planning a trip to Denmark, be aware of new rules and tough penalties for speeding including the seizure of vehicles – even if the driver is not the owner of the vehicle.

In March 2021, new rules and stricter penalties for bad driving (‘insane driving’ in Danish) came into force in Denmark. This means, among other things, that speeding offences can be punished with imprisonment and entail unconditional revocation of the driving licence for a minimum of three years if the speed is 200 km/h or more – or more than 100 percent too fast if the speed is more than 100 km/h or for driving with a blood alcohol level of more than 2.0.

The law does not only apply to Danish citizens but also applies to foreigners.

The police also have the option of seizing, confiscating and ultimately selling vehicles at auctions that have been used for insane driving – regardless of whether the driver owns, leases, or borrows the vehicle.

The Danish police are now confiscating about three vehicles a day. In the first six months after the new rules came into force, the police seized a total of 510 vehicles, while 623 charges have been filed in 586 cases involving insane driving.

Written by Lars Rulffs (MCTC).

Top photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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