Credit: Police Lëtzebuerg
On Wednesday 8 January 2025, the Grand Ducal Police issued its final report on the "Wanterzäit 2024" road safety campaign.
As part of its overall road safety strategy, the Grand Ducal Police carried out checks between mid-October and the end of December specifically dedicated to the good visibility and good technical condition of vehicles.
In total, the police issued more than 2,950 fines as part of this campaign. Of these fines, 811 were issued for non-conformities or failure to use lighting (main beam, dipped beam and red lights). 188 fines concerned tyre irregularities (e.g. insufficient grooves or no winter tyres).
In 1,765 cases, defects concerning the on-board documents were noted. In 673 of these cases, the drivers were unable to present a valid technical inspection certificate during the inspection. In 187 cases, the police found defects in the technical condition of the vehicle. In 76 of these cases, the cars were equipped with non-compliant, non-authorised or poorly legible or poorly attached number plates. In 41 cases, the visibility of the drivers was insufficient and, in 23 cases, a defective exhaust system was found.
In addition to the fines mentioned, the police drew up 578 warning reports related to defects in lighting, tyres or on-board documents during the campaign. The police explained that this means that in the event of non-compliance, the drivers were not automatically fined, but were given a period of five days to bring their vehicle into compliance with the legislation. The offenders were then required to report to a police unit after having remedied the defects.
The police noted that good visibility and the good technical condition of vehicles play a vital role in the safety of all road users, especially in this dark season with fog, rain, cold and reduced visibility. The police will thus continue to carry out such checks as part of their daily preventive missions.
The police reminded road users of the following preventive advice:
- See and be seen: in terms of general road safety, it is essential that drivers are vigilant and ensure that they can see what is happening around them, including checking that the lights are working and the windows are clear. It is also important that pedestrians, runners and cyclist are visible to other road users, even from a distance;
- Technical condition of vehicles: the vehicles must be in perfect technical condition. Depending on the weather conditions, winter tyres may be required. A clear field of vision must be guaranteed;
- Safety distance and driving style: keeping sufficient distance away from the vehicle in front and a driving style adapted to the weather conditions and compliance with speed limits are also essential.
