New Amendments to the Traffic Code – increasing the existing sanctions and introducing new ones

OG (Government Ordinance) no. 1/2022, published in the Official Gazette no. 89 / 28.01.2022, includes provisions aimed, in principle, at increasing the existing sanctions in the road legislation or introducing new ones. Let's take them one by one:

*• Aggressive behavior is defined when driving on public roads**. Those who adopt such behavior risk fines between 580 - 725 lei, but also the suspension of the permit for 30 days;

• If after such behavior, an accident occurs, the culprit risks a fine between 870 - 1,160 lei and the suspension of the permit for 60 days;

• The highway traffic regime and the tightening of sanctions for irresponsible behavior. The unjustified traffic of vehicles on the emergency lane of highways is sanctioned, with a fine provided in the fourth class of sanctions between 1,305 and 2,900 lei and the application of the complementary sanction of suspension of the right to drive for a period of 90 days;

• Suspension of the right to drive for 120 days for the execution of return or reverse maneuvers on the highway;

• The act of non-compliance with the rules on exceeding and not giving priority, as well as increasing the period of suspension of the permit from 30 to 60 days, is transferred to a higher class of contraventions from the second class to the third class of sanctions;

• The period of suspension of the right to drive is increased from 90 to 120 days in case of non-observance of the level crossing rules;

• A new speed limit is regulated, respectively over 70km / h compared to the legal limit, for which an increased period of suspension of the exercise of the right to drive will be applied, respectively 120 days;

• A new contravention is introduced for non-compliance with the obligation to keep the windshield, rear window and side windows of the vehicle permanently clean;

• The ineffectiveness of the applied penalty points, as in the case of filing a misdemeanor complaint, the limitation period for the accumulation of points is not suspended. That is why the solution of legally suspending the 6-month limitation period for the accumulation of 15 penalty points until the final decision of the court remains final is regulated;

• The interdiction to drive a vehicle on public roads in Romania is introduced, following the criminal conviction for committing road traffic offenses on the territory of Romania, for the holder of a driving license issued by a foreign authority;