April 1, 2023 - From today, Croatia traffic rules are switching to summer mode, and daytime running lights are no longer mandatory for car drivers.

As Index writes, the Road Traffic Safety Act stipulates a fixed period during which daytime running lights or low beam headlights must be on for all motor vehicles, from November 1 to March 31.

Under the Act, now high-beam or low-beam headlights on motor vehicles do not have to be on, except at night and in the case of conditions of reduced visibility during the day.

There are exceptions

Moped and motorcycle riders must have their lights on throughout the year, while bicycle riders must have one white light on the front and one red light on the back of the bike from dusk to full dawn (at night) and in case of reduced visibility on the bike.

Exceptions are mopeds and motorcycles, the drivers of which are obliged to have dipped headlights on all year round, day and night. However, due to better visibility, motor vehicle drivers can also have their lights on during daylight saving time.

The police urge caution

Since nicer weather means greater participation of bicycle, moped, and motorcycle riders in traffic, the police have urged drivers of other vehicles to be careful not to take the right of way when joining traffic, rearranging, overtaking, going around, or turning in a U-turn.

Moped and motorcycle riders were reminded of the obligation to wear a prescribed, homologated, and adequately attached protective helmet, and cyclists on public roads to wear a reflective vest or such overall cycling clothing, night and day, in case of reduced visibility.

The same applies to pedestrians when moving along the pavement on a public road, who should have a light source or wear a reflective material at night, and also during the day in case of reduced visibility.

What are the fines?

The Road Traffic Safety Act prescribes a fine of HRK 500, now around EUR 66, in case of non-compliance with the provisions on the mandatory use of lights on vehicles in conditions of reduced visibility or at night.

Under the stated conditions, a fine of HRK 300 is prescribed for not using lights on a bicycle, as well as for not wearing a reflective vest or reflective cycling clothing.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

November 1, 2022 - From today, November 1, drivers will need to have daytime running lights or low beam lights on their vehicles during the day to be more visible in traffic.

As Poslovni writes, until 2018, the beginning of the mandatory use of lights on vehicles during the day would follow daylight saving, which was changed from summer to winter this Sunday, but with the amendment of the Road Traffic Safety Act, the date of this obligation was determined to be from November 1 to March 31. 

The obligation for drivers to always have their daytime running lights or low beam headlights on during the day is prescribed for greater caution on the roads, that is, for better visibility. Drivers of mopeds and motorcycles must have their low beam headlights on during the day all year round or face a fine of HRK 300.
Cyclists must have one white light on the front, and one red light on the back of their bicycle from the first dusk to full dawn and in case of reduced visibility, or they will be fined HRK 500.

Mandatory winter equipment from November 15

From November 15 - on roads in winter conditions, when the road is covered with snow or ice on it - winter vehicle equipment will be mandatory, and this obligation will be in force until April 15.

During the winter conditions on the roads, motor vehicles with no prescribed winter equipment and trucks with a trailer are prohibited. Before entering traffic, drivers must clean frozen windshields and snow, ice or water on the vehicle.

For vehicles that do not have the prescribed winter equipment, a fine of HRK 5,000 to HRK 15,000 is prescribed for legal or natural persons. For the same offense, a responsible person in a legal entity, state authority, or local or regional self-government unit will be fined from HRK 1,500 to HRK 5,000. The driver will be fined HRK 1,000 for this violation. The police will order drivers whose vehicles do not have winter equipment to immediately stop driving or to continue driving on the road where it is allowed or to use winter equipment.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 14, 2021 - Split Ferry Port traffic in 2021 is at 80% of 2019's numbers, and more Croatia traffic news this weekend as crowds form all over the country. 

Tens of thousands of passengers will pass through Split's ferry port this weekend, and judging by the large crowds; the season is in full swing, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Jelena Ivulić, head of Jadrolinija in Split, commented on this weekend's numbers. 

"This weekend, we expect over 80 thousand passengers and more than 18 thousand vehicles at the Split Ferry Port," said Ivulić.

She adds that we are crossing 80% of 2019, and at 8.45 and 12.30, extra lines for Supetar sailed.

"The data is really great, we are delighted, and we hope that it will last longer,' she concluded.

In other Croatia traffic news, traffic is temporarily suspended on the A1 motorway at the Sveti Rok tunnel in the direction of Dubrovnik.

Traffic has increased on most roads in the direction of the sea and inland. This is especially true on the A1 motorway between the Lučko toll and the Bosiljevo II junction, the Čelinka tunnel and the Maslenica junction in the south direction, and between the Zadar II junction and the Bristovac tunnel in the direction of Zagreb. In addition, there are occasional traffic jams and moving columns on the A2 Zagreb-Macelj motorway, towards the Trakošćan toll with the occasional closure of the Frukov Krč tunnel, on the Zagreb bypass between the Jankomir and Lučko junctions in the direction of the A1 motorway, on the Krk bridge in both directions, especially mainland, towards individual border crossings and at the approaches to ferry ports. Drivers are advised to maintain a safe distance between vehicles.

A traffic ban for trucks with a maximum permissible weight of over 7.5 tons on some roads in Istria and the coast is in effect today (August 14) until 23:00 and tomorrow (August 15) from 12:00 to 23:00 (summer ban also due to the Feast of the Assumption). On the other hand, there is no ban on the DC1 motorways and state roads.

For the Feast of the Assumption, many pilgrims are expected on the access roads of the Marian shrines, so road users are urged to be extra careful.

During the day, due to increased traffic, there may be difficulties, occasional delays, and convoy driving on some sections of highways, Zagreb (A3) and Rijeka (A7) bypass, Krk Bridge (DC102), Istrian Y towards the border crossings Kastel and Plovanija, at Učka tunnel and the junction Matulji, Lička (DC1) and Jadranska magistrala (DC8) at the approaches to tourist centers, in ferry ports and wharves and at some border crossings. Occasional delays are also possible on sections where works are in progress. Therefore, drivers should adjust their speed and driving style to the conditions on the roads.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

ZAGREB, October 14, 2019 - In the first two months since the entry into force of a stricter law on road safety, from early August to the end of September, police penalised 1,347 persons who committed the most serious traffic offences which carry a fine of between 10,000 and 20,000 kuna or a prison term of up to 60 days.

Of the 1,347 traffic offenders, close to 40% or 537 were arrested, the Ministry of the Interior said.

The ministry says that the most frequent traffic offences were driving under the influence of alcohol, with 528 cases of drivers who had more than 1.5 of blood alcohol content, 465 offences were about driving prior to obtaining a driver's licence, 216 were cases of driving while under a driving ban, and 118 cases referred to the refusal to have one's blood and urine sample taken.

In 1,078 cases police suggested that the relevant court impose a fine, while in 356 cases (more than 30%) they proposed a prison sentence. Courts ordered imprisonment for 100 offenders and did not order imprisonment for 111 offenders while other proceedings are still underway, the ministry said.

The maximum prison term of 30 to 60 days was imposed in cases when a driver had more than 1.5 per mille of blood alcohol content, drove before taking a driver's exam or drove while under a driving ban. The highest fine upheld by a court amounted to 30,500 kuna (4,120 euro).

The ministry says that the impact of the stricter penalties is evident in the number of road fatalities - in the first nine months of 2019, 35 fewer people were killed in road accidents than in the same period of last year.

In the first nine months of 2019, the number of road fatalities was 209 while in 2018 the number stood at 244.

The ministry notes that despite the harsher penalties, some drivers continue to commit grave traffic offences, which is why in the coming period police will continue with increased traffic monitoring, notably on weekends.

More traffic news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, October 12, 2019 - A new type of traffic light has been installed in Zagreb which projects red light on the sidewalk next to a zebra crossing so that it can be seen by both pedestrians and cyclists who approach the crossing but are looking at their mobile phones.

This is the first such traffic light to be installed in Croatia. It has been installed at the crossing of Frankopanska and Đure Deželića streets as part of the Day Without Mobile Phones in Traffic campaign, its organisers said on Saturday.

When this traffic light turns red, it is projected on the sidewalk as well as on mobile phone screens which pedestrians look at instead of around themselves. Reflecting the red light, the sidewalk as well as the screens force them to raise their heads, stop and wait for the light to turn green.

A survey conducted as part of the campaign shows that 92% of drivers, 50% of pedestrians and 33% of cyclists use mobile phones while crossing the street and that 20% do not even notice when the traffic light turns red. The findings also show that the responses of drivers using mobile phones are almost three times slower.

Mobile phones are considered the fourth biggest killer in traffic.

More lifestyle news can be found in the dedicated section.

ZAGREB, October 4, 2019 - Members of parliament on Friday decided unanimously that October 21 should be marked as a national, awareness-raising road safety day and that more work was necessary on accident prevention.

The MPs thus supported a joint proposal put forward by the parliamentary committees on internal policy and maritime affairs which had originally asked that the day in question be marked as a national day without mobile phones in traffic but which accepted the government's suggestion that the day should be observed as a national road safety day.

The government agreed that the use of mobile phones in traffic was a major problem but noted that their use was only one of four factors affecting road safety, the other three being speed, alcohol and the non-use of the seat belt.

During a debate on the matter, MPs warned that the number of victims of road accidents in Croatia was much higher than the EU average. In the EU, the rate is 49 per one million inhabitants, while in Croatia it is 80, and only Bulgaria and Romania have worse statistics, said Social Democrat Željko Jovanović, noting that in 2018, 331 people were killed in road accidents.

In the first six months of 2019, six children were killed and 54 were seriously injured in traffic accidents, an increase of 150% from the same period of 2018, said Pero Ćosić of the ruling HDZ party.

More traffic news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, July 12, 2019 - Parliament on Friday decided on amendments to the Law on Road Safety which foresees harsher penalties for traffic offences.

Eight of the gravest offences will incur a fine of 15,000 kuna and 20,000 kuna instead of 5,000 kuna and 10,000 kuna respectively as was the case until now. These fines apply to offences such as driving in the opposite direction on motorways, exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 kph, deliberately driving through a red light, refusing to take an alcohol or drug test or driving under the influence, driving prior to obtaining or without a licence that has been suspended or revoked.

In cases where a driver commits the same offence for the second time within three years, their licence will be suspended for at least six months and for the third and any following such offence, their licence will be revoked for at least one year.

The amendment also foresees the temporary confiscation of a vehicle for repeat offenders. Vehicles can be confiscated pursuant to a court order for drivers who have been fined twice yet commit a third grave offence.

Parliament unanimously adopted the Law on Missing Persons in the Homeland War, a single law that will protect the fundamental rights of missing persons and their families at a higher level and will contribute to retaining their dignity.

The law contains a government-sponsored amendment according to which anyone delivering information regarding mass or single grave sites which leads to any cases being resolved will be rewarded according to a regulation that will be adopted by the Veterans' Affairs Ministry.

Lawmakers adopted amendments to the Law on Credit Institutions which secures conditions to conclude an agreement on close cooperation between the Croatian National Bank (HNB) and the European Central Bank (ECB) aimed at moving closer to introducing the euro in Croatia. The law will make it possible for the HNB to honour directives and guidelines set by the ECB and that it provides all relevant information on credit institutions with their headquarters in Croatia which the ECB can request for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive supervision of credit institutions.

More traffic news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

There is probably no-one who has not heard a story from someone that he or she managed to drive from Zagreb to Split in less than three hours. The story is always the same, just the name of the driver is changed. While it is clear that in most cases this is just fiction with no basis in reality, there are indeed some who do manage to drive from Zagreb to Split in under three hours. Most of them use foreign passports as a shield, readily paying fines, which then motivates locals to try to do the same. However, it seems that such behaviour will soon become history on the Croatian motorways, reports Večernji List on December 18, 2018.

A unique speeding monitoring system is about to be introduced. “Speed monitoring is a developing project with a view to increasing the safety of motorway traffic and preventing the worst traffic accidents, all in line with the 2011-2020 National Traffic Safety Programme. Croatian Motorways support the activities and measures of the Interior Ministry to increase traffic safety. Speed monitoring will be done by measuring the average speed of a vehicle on certain sections of the motorway and with radar controls at specific locations, such as areas under reconstruction, where speeding is the most common cause of traffic accidents,” explained the Croatian Motorways public company. They noted that the locations under the speed monitoring would be marked with road signs to warn drivers because the intention is not to fine but to warn.

Currently, speeding on Croatian motorways is controlled just by police interceptors. Drivers exceeding the allowed speed by more than 50 km/h receive a fine between 3,000 and 7,000 kuna, a 24-month driving ban and three negative points on their licence. However, when it comes to foreign drivers, there are no penalty points, the driving ban applies just to Croatia, and the fee of 3,000 kuna – which in reality is only 1,500 kuna, provided it is paid immediately – is nothing substantial.

“When fees start being imposed through video surveillance, and the most severe offenders are punished by imprisonment, Croatian motorways will no longer serve as recreational venues but will be safe modern highways where local and foreign drivers will be able to drive safely at allowed speeds without fear of potentially taking part in serious accidents caused by arrogant drivers,” said Goran Husinec, a court expert for road traffic and vehicles.

The implementation of the motorway speed monitoring system is planned for 2019 and 2020. Similar speed control systems on motorways have already been introduced by Norway, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy. To avoid manipulation – such as taking a coffee break that would bring down the average speed calculated by comparing the time of entry and exit from the motorway – the speeds will be measured at multiple locations, mostly those that are already known as sections with speeding violations.

At each section, the speed monitoring system will be installed at two points. Cameras will record vehicles and calculate their speed. Based on the resulting average, the drivers will receive fines at their home addresses or will be fined by the police at the motorway exit.

“We were thinking about increasing the permitted speed on some flat sections of the motorways, but the state of our society and traffic culture is such that it still does not allow it. There would be drivers who would overestimate their driving capabilities, which would be fatal for them and other traffic participants,” concluded Husinec.

More info on Croatian motorways can be found in our Lifestyle section.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Sandra Mikulčić).

After a series of serious traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers, the Interior Ministry has started to draft amendments to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, reports Index.hr on November 6, 2018.

Just last weekend, the police identified 4,588 violations of traffic rules, out of which over 1,800 were people driving faster than the speed limit. During the intensified traffic controls, 482 alcohol-related driving violations were reported and the highest measured alcohol concentration, in the amount of 0.34%, was recorded in Koprivnica-Križevci County.

In order to respond to the problem as quickly as possible, Interior Minister Davor Božinović met with representatives of the Faculty of Traffic Sciences. In addition to the minister, the meeting was attended by the Chief of Police Nikola Milin, his deputy Josip Ćelić, chief of police directorate Ivan Merčep and head of the Traffic Safety Department Josip Mataija.

This was not the first meeting of experts from the two institutions on the issue. While not solely responsible for the traffic safety, the Ministry of the Interior has started with the activities to find more suitable solutions, more appropriate to current circumstances, with a view to preserving lives and improving road traffic culture through expert working groups. The Interior Ministry has initiated the meeting on the basis of the opinion that in finding a high-quality and comprehensive solution it is necessary to achieve cooperation with the scientists who deal with traffic issues.

The sanctions currently prescribed for drivers by the Law on Road Traffic Safety do not fully meet their purpose, meaning that the perpetrators of the violations are not sufficiently deterred from repeating their illegal driving habits. Therefore, the intention is to move forward towards solutions that could include the permanent revocation of driving licenses, but also the seizure of vehicles which were used in committing a traffic offense. One of the proposals is to introduce liability for owners of vehicles which were used for committing traffic offenses.

“We will launch a legislative initiative to increase punishments for drivers who cause serious traffic accidents, especially those who belong to the recidivist category,” the minister said in a conversation with Nova TV. “In our opinion, the vehicle as a mean of committing a criminal offense should be seized even if the offence was not committed by the owner of the vehicle. The owner should assume the responsibility for giving the vehicle to the driver,” Božinović said.

The Ministry of the Interior has also supported the proposal of the Faculty of Traffic Sciences for the establishment of the centre of excellence as part of the faculty, which will bring together all the relevant authorities and work on strategic solutions.

In the first ten months of this year, 272 people died in 257 traffic accidents, with 185 dying on the spot, which is 68% of the total number of deaths.

For more on traffic issues in Croatia, click here.

Translated from Index.hr.

ZAGREB, September 22, 2018 - European Car Free Day, which is celebrated on September 22 and ends European Mobility Week, was marked in Zagreb on Saturday with the downtown being closed to motor vehicles and the main celebrations taking place on European Square with a parade of pedestrians, bicyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders as well as disabled people in mobile wheelchairs.