If a vehicle enters an intersection any time after the signal light has turned red, the driver has committed a violation. In that case, the law prescribes a fine that is the same for all drivers. However, last month an unusual situation occurred when a court in Germany issued a traffic fine that was higher than expected.

The owner of the vehicle received a traffic fine of 150 EUR for passing through a red light, but the court increased that fine with the explanation that he was driving an SUV and not a small vehicle. They also stated that the reason for such a decision is that large vehicles pose a greater danger to pedestrians.

According to ABC News, some studies have shown that SUV collisions with pedestrians at speeds of at least 40 mph (64 km/h) always result in the pedestrian’s death. In the explanation of the verdict, it is stated that the judge determined that the sentence can be increased by up to 75%. In addition, the driver was sentenced to the suspension of his driver’s license for one month.

Is this a new way of setting fines and should SUV drivers pay higher traffic fines?

Source: ABC News