Accident reporting fee
The accident reporting fee , commonly known as blue light tax, is an administrative fee introduced in Austria on July 1, 1996 . It is standardized in Section 4 (5b) of the Road Traffic Act and is levied if the police are called to record the accident after a minor traffic accident , although an exchange of personal details between the parties involved would have been sufficient and possible. The accident reporting fee was 500 schillings when it was introduced ; today it is 36 €. In the first year after the introduction of the fee, the police recorded 23.2% fewer traffic accidents with property damage, but the income of around 16 million schillings was far below the expectations of 60 million schillings.
The fee is not charged if the police are only called to avert danger (e.g. necessary additional security of the scene of the accident) or for criminal prosecution (e.g. alcohol test if there are indications) and those involved waive the issue of an accident report. It also does not apply to accidents with personal injury. The reason for the introduction of the fee in Austria was that the police are usually not required if personal data is collected solely for claims settlement. If this is wanted by those involved in the accident anyway, they should be charged with the costs according to the causation principle .
In Germany, the state government of Hamburg announced in September 2010 that it would charge an administrative fee of € 40 on a comparable basis from April 2011. In March 2011 Hamburg's new Senator for the Interior, Michael Neumann, announced that it would not be introducing it.
In Brandenburg, the Ministry of the Interior examined the introduction of the fee, but withdrew from it in November 2010.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Focus: Austria introduces "blue light tax"
- ↑ Parliamentary Correspondence No. 62 of February 2, 1998
- ↑ ÖAMTC: When the “blue light tax” is due ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Hamburger Morgenpost: The most important questions about the "blue light tax" ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Bild.de: 40 euros blue light tax
- ↑ Bild.de: Blue light tax is off the table. Retrieved March 10, 2019 .
- ↑ Press release Ministry of the Interior Brandenburg; No. 157/10 of November 9, 2010
