[kettleballroll]

I'm not sure HN isnthe right place to discuss political issues, but this is a horribly toothless law.

> The law applies when a driver within a city is going 60-plus kilometers per hour over the speed limit. Outside the city, the vehicle must be going 70 or more kph (44 mph) over the limit. But at that level, the vehicle is only confiscated for two weeks. For repeat offenders, as well as for those who go 80-plus kph (50 mph) over the speed limit in a city or 90-plus kph (56 mph) outside a city, the vehicle is permanently confiscated and sold.

Doing 110 kpm in a 50s zone is willingly putting people's life at risk. It's beyond reckless driving, and might be considered as a super weak form of attempted murder (and suicide) even. And you get your car taken away for 2 weeks. Unless you're doing the Autobahn max Speed in a 50s zone or be a repeat offender for it to actually trigger.. What the hell?

Even better, if the racer doesn't own the car, there's (as they admit themselves) nothing they can do.

Why is this so weak? Is there some ethical concern about taking someone's car, or is this a political maneuver?

[alwa]

They did mention that someone was apprehended and punished under the law by 3 AM on the first day the law came into effect. Maybe it’s a case of starting with the most egregious and noncontroversial cases and considering broader approaches from there.

[citrin_ru]

> Doing 110 kpm in a 50s zone is willingly putting people's life at risk

If 50 km/h limit is appropriate for a given road. I would expect speed limits to be reasonable in AT but if an organization which sets speed limits can profit from fines and forfeiture it creates an incentive to set the limit as low as possible.

In Russia I've seen a road going around the city (but formally still in the city) with the speed limit 60 km/h. With a central reservation and a large distance between traffic lights 80-90 km/h would be reasonable but guess police wanted to profit from fines. May be the speed limit has been increased eventually, don't know.

[stavros]

Maybe they want to start lenient and make it stricter later.