Helmets compulsory until video
What will change on roads and railways in 2026
Video surveillance, compulsory helmets, news about actions for possession, driving licenses and the "sticker" - above all, the amendment to the Road Traffic Act (StVO) will leave its mark in the coming year ...
There will be changes on Austria's roads in the coming year - and they will affect (almost) all road users! Some points have already been leaked or are known, others are still pending. Here is a summary of the most important points:
E-mopeds, which are mainly used in urban areas, are to be classified as motor vehicles under the StVO amendment and are therefore subject to registration. As a consequence, driving licenses, insurance and helmets will be mandatory.
The blood alcohol limit for e-scooter riders will be lowered to 0.5, and the vehicles will also have to be fitted with indicators from May 1.
Helmets will probably be compulsory for e-bikers up to the age of 14 and e-scooter drivers up to the age of 16. The ÖAMTC criticized the proposal as not being accurate - in view of the accident data, it is calling for mandatory helmets without age restrictions.
Austria's largest mobility club also has little joy with the following topic: camera-based surveillance! As reported, local authorities are to be given the opportunity to monitor traffic areas by video at their own discretion and impose penalties for infringements. The ÖAMTC sees a proliferation of driving bans and a chaos of rules.
There will also be a minor correction to the "cap". If you are caught cheating on your driving test, the ban period will be extended to 18 months.
The camera-based monitoring system suggests a chaos of rules and a proliferation of large-scale no-driving zones. The proposal is not constitutional.
Bild: ÖAMTC/Postl
Sepp Schellhorn, State Secretary for Bureaucracy Reduction, has presented an extension of the interval for the "sticker" and a stop is being put to systematic rip-offs A lot of dust has been raised in recent months by drivers being ripped off by means of actions for disturbance of possession. But this should now come to an end: A new law will reduce lawyers' fees and court costs to such an extent that the business model will ultimately collapse like a house of cards.
On the other hand, rail travel will become more expensive: following an increase in August, the price of the Austria-wide climate ticket will rise again at the turn of the year. The annual ticket for Wiener Linien will then cost 28 percent more and will now cost 467 euros.
The highway sticker will be available for the last time in 2026. The price has risen in line with inflation.
Things are also changing in our top travel destinations! First the good news: Croatia, one of the most popular vacation destinations for Austrians, is switching to digital freeway tolls next year. This should make annoying traffic jams at the toll stations a thing of the past. The bad news is that it will not be implemented until the fall, i.e. after the 2026 travel season.
Bulgaria - an up-and-coming vacation destination known for its good value for money - is introducing the euro at the turn of the year. This will eliminate conversions and exchange rate issues. It remains to be seen how the new currency will affect prices. In addition, an inexpensive one-day vignette (4 euros) will be available from February 3 - practical for travelers who are only passing through Bulgaria.
Spain will have a curiosity from next year: in future, warning triangles will no longer be allowed in the event of accidents or breakdowns. Instead, a special flashing light will be mandatory in all vehicles registered in Spain - including rental cars.
The perennial tourist favorite Venice is significantly increasing its entrance fee for day visitors! It will be charged on 60 selected days between April and July in 2026. The fee will be 5 euros, or 10 euros if you register at short notice.
The vignettes in the Czech Republic will also become more expensive - the daily vignette will then cost the equivalent of ten euros, the 10-day vignette around twelve euros.
If you are traveling across the pond and want to explore the world-famous national parks, you should increase your vacation budget. The USA has announced an additional fee of 100 US dollars per person for foreign visitors (over the age of 16). The regulation also affects well-known parks such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Willkommen in unserer Community! Eingehende Beiträge werden geprüft und anschließend veröffentlicht. Bitte achten Sie auf Einhaltung unserer Netiquette und AGB. Für ausführliche Diskussionen steht Ihnen ebenso das krone.at-Forum zur Verfügung. Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.