Anyone traveling by car must adhere to speed limits on most roads. There are many reasons for this: For example, driving fast consumes significantly more fuel and is therefore more harmful to the environment. But safety is also linked to the speed of the car.
If you don’t stick to the speed limit and press the accelerator too far, you can get caught. And then it’s not just fines and points that threaten you in Flensburg: Another measure for driving too fast is a driving ban. But how fast above the speed limit do you have to drive your car into the speed camera or speed trap? And how long does the rag stay away? Find out more here.
What a driving ban means for you
The driving ban is a loss of driving privileges that is normally limited to one to three months. According to the ADAC, a criminal driving ban can also apply for up to six months. The important difference is the so-called revocation of a driving license, in which the right to drive a motor vehicle is permanently withdrawn.
The driver’s license must be kept officially in the event of a driving ban, explains the “Auto Motor und Sport” magazine. It must then be handed in, for example, to the administrative authority that issued the fine notice. The driving license can also be kept at the relevant police station. But be careful: handing in your driving license to the police is not possible in every federal state. The driver’s license can then, for example, be sent by post or brought to official custody in person.
If you exceed the speed limit, your driver’s license will be lost
One thing is clear: you don’t even need the fastest car in the world that can drive 500 km/h to lose your driving license because of speeding. The penalties for excessive speed are recorded in the catalog of fines. In 2024, the updated catalog of fines from 2021 will still apply. It provides for a fine, points and also a driving ban for particularly serious traffic violations. It plays a role whether you drove too fast inside or outside a built-up area.
The current catalog of fines applies within built-up areas:
- 26 to 30 km/h over the speed limit: a month Driving ban and 235 euro fine
- 31 to 40 km/h over the speed limit: a month Driving ban and 340 euro fine
- 41 to 50 km/h over the speed limit: two months Driving ban and 560 euro fine
- 51 to 60 km/h over the speed limit: three months Driving ban and 700 euro fine
- More than 60 km/h over the speed limit: three months Driving ban and 800 euro fine
The current catalog of fines applies outside built-up areas:
- 26 to 30 km/h over the speed limit: no driving ban, but a fine of 175 euros
- 31 to 40 km/h over the speed limit: a month Driving ban and 255 euro fine
- 41 to 50 km/h over the speed limit: a month Driving ban and 480 euro fine
- 51 to 60 km/h over the speed limit: two months Driving ban and 600 euro fine
- More than 60 km/h over the speed limit: three months Driving ban and 700 euro fine
Important: Different laws and limits apply to international driving licenses.
These examples show when a driving ban is imminent
The maximum speed in urban areas is normally 50 km/h. For example, if you are speeding at 75 km/h, you do not fall into the category in which there is a risk of a driving ban. Nevertheless, 175 euros are due. It’s different if the speed was 76 km/h – then it becomes more expensive and a driving ban applies. In one place, another traffic sign often shows a lower speed limit, for example in the 30 km/h zones. There is a risk of a driving ban from speeds of 56 km/h.
Outside urban areas, cars have a maximum speed of 100 km/h. There is a risk of a driving ban from 131 km/h. But there are also lower limits outside of town. And there are often speed limits on some stretches of motorway too. In addition: The catalog of fines emphasizes that the standard rates and driving bans also apply if the set maximum speed is exceeded when visibility is less than 50 meters due to fog, snowfall or rain. With a motorway sign like “80 in wet conditions” there is a risk of a driving ban at 111 km/h when it is wet.
And be careful: other violations such as not making an emergency exit or using a cell phone while driving can also result in driving bans. And in a European country, lawns can now be expensive in several ways: Among other things, the car can be confiscated there.
When does the driver’s license have to be handed in? – First time offenders have flexibility
A driving ban of one month lasts exactly one calendar month. The deadline is calculated to the exact day and is therefore based on the current date. The ADAC gives an example: Anyone who gave their driving license into official custody on December 6th can therefore drive again on January 6th. The driving ban then lasted 31 days because December has so many days. That’s why the ADAC recommends starting the driving ban in February, as it is the shortest month with 28 days (29 in leap years).
Because: The driving license only has to be handed in when the driving ban is legally binding. This is the case if the two-week objection period granted in the fine notice was not used.
Anyone who is a first-time offender or has not received a driving ban in the past two years can decide for themselves when the driving ban begins – at least within four months of the fine notice becoming legally binding. In this case, according to the Karlsruhe Regional Council, the driving license must be kept in custody no later than four months after the fine notice became legally binding. Drivers can choose the driving ban period themselves within this time frame, according to the regional council.
For repeat offenders – i.e. those who have already received a driving ban in the previous 24 months – the period for the driving ban is prescribed: The driving ban then becomes effective with the legal force of the fine notice and the driving license must be surrendered from then on.
By the way: A special black box in the car will be mandatory from July 2024. There is an EU transport policy law behind this.