Until now, drivers could transfer points in Flensburg or a driving ban to other people – for instance, through private straw men or commercial agencies offering their services online. The legislature is now remedying this with an amendment to the Road Traffic Act (StVG): from July, deceiving authorities about responsibility for traffic offenses is explicitly prohibited. Anyone offering or brokering such services faces fines of up to €30,000.
The business model was simple: those wanting to avoid points or a driving ban would use a broker to find a person willing to take the violation for payment. The actual driver forwarded the hearing notice to the broker, who organized a suitable straw man. This way, fines, points, and driving bans landed on someone else. Critics, including the ADAC, criticized the negative impact on road safety, as repeat offenders got off scot-free.
The new Section 4c StVG criminalizes deceiving authorities about responsibility for traffic offenses. This strengthens the driver fitness register in Flensburg, which is actually meant to identify and penalize conspicuous road users early on. Whether the previously thriving market will disappear remains to be seen.
Source: t3n.de
