A court ruling has determined that skipping a red light aboard an SUV creates more risk for pedestrians, for which it deserves a larger fine. The argument is based on the higher front height of this type of vehicle.
The “Sport Utility Vehicles”, better known as SUVs, currently account for almost half of the European market and have become the preferred option for the buyer for years.
However, administrations do not like them too much because their larger size makes them more polluting. And, after the sentence issued by a German judge, it seems that they are not highly appreciated either for being considered more dangerous than traditional passenger cars.
Jumping a red light with an SUV is more expensive
Although the German or Spanish highway code do not discriminate the penalties to be applied according to the type of vehicle, a Frankfurt judge has ruled that the driver who ran a red light in that German city deserves more punishment for the simple fact of driving an SUV.
This driver jumped the traffic light when he had been red for more than a second, for which a penalty of 200 euros should be applied. Instead, the judge decreed an economic fine of 350 euros and a month without a driving licensealthough in this second case it was influenced by the fact that our protagonist already had several pending fines registered.
But, what did the judge argue to increase the fine for the driver of this SUV? According to the ruling, this type of vehicle is more dangerous for pedestrians than conventional vehicles (sedans, compacts, utility vehicles, etc.).
The reason is that they have a “raised front end due to higher ground clearance”. This makes a potential collision more harmful to pedestrians, increasing the risk of serious consequences or even death. And that makes this circumstance increase the legal consequences of a traffic violation.
However, the sanctioned driver may appeal the sentence and in that case the economic fine would be reduced to 200 euros.
Font: Tagesschau.de
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Photos: Freepik