This year there was a decline in traffic accidents on Styrian roads over the Whitsun weekend, as was the case with Corona in 2020. The number of administrative violations punished is also falling. However, partying young people were a challenge for the police away from the traffic.
On the last weekend of Pentecost, a total of 39 accidents happened on Styrian roads, 45 people were injured. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in Styria. As part of the increased traffic monitoring, Styrian police punished a total of 5,171 speeding violations and filed reports against alcohol drivers in 55 cases. In addition, there were 21 driver license withdrawals.
Illegal gatherings as a challenge
The police were not only active in monitoring traffic during the weekend of Pentecost. The officials were also on duty to ensure compliance with the corona-related measures at numerous public locations. Illegal gatherings and parties in public places where police officers had to intervene posed a particular challenge. For example, uniformed men had to intervene in the Graz city park on Sunday evening, as 50 to 60 people got into a dispute for reasons that had not yet been clarified, and this was increasingly escalating.
Incidents now require even more consistent intervention
When intervening, the police were pelted with beer bottles and beverage cans, and one officer was hit but fortunately not injured. “Despite all the understanding for the needs of young people and young adults, limits were exceeded in the above-mentioned incidents, which calls for even more consistent action by the police – also for the benefit of the residents,” said the Styrian police in a broadcast on Tuesday.