Almost 3,000 fines were issued to Luxembourg motorists during the final weeks of 2024 as part of a winter road safety campaign, according to figures from the police.
The police launched its annual Wanterzaït [winter time] campaign in mid-October, with warnings given in the first month, before fines were handed out in the period from mid-November to the end of the year.
The majority of penalties concerned irregularities in documents, with more than 1,765 motorists fined for such breaches.
A total of almost 1,000 motorists were fined for non-compliance with lighting or tyre requirements, such as the absence of winter tyres.
In 187 cases, defects in the technical condition of the vehicle were found, with the visibility of drivers judged to be insufficient on more than 40 occasions, for example failing to properly scrape windscreens free of ice.
“In addition to the fines mentioned, 578 warnings relating to defects in lighting, tyres or on-board documents were drawn up during the campaign,” the Grand Ducal Police said. In these specific cases, the drivers were not automatically fined, but were given a period of five days to comply with the legislation and report to a police unit.
Although the campaign ended in December, the police said officers will continue to patrol the country’s roads as part of their daily preventive missions.
“For the safety of all road users, good visibility and the good technical condition of vehicles play a vital role, especially in this dark season with fog, rain, cold and reduced visibility,” the police statement added.
All vehicles must be in good technical condition and adapted to the weather conditions, for example by using winter tyres. Speed limits and safety distances must be respected and the driving style adapted to the weather conditions.
(This article was originally published by Virgule. Translation and editing by John Monaghan)