Nine dead in Croatian traffic accidents over one weekend; experts warn courts are too lenient

Croatia experienced its deadliest weekend of the year on its roads, with nine fatalities in just 48 hours. Among the victims were four motorcyclists, highlighting a disturbing trend. Josip Mataija, head of the traffic police at the Police Directorate, described the weekend as the worst of the year.

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Unfortunately, the worst weekend of this year, definitely.

Mataija stated that human error was the key factor in all the accidents. He also noted a significant rise in motorcycle and moped fatalities, correlating with a 100% increase in registered motorcycles on Croatian roads over the past five to six years, now totaling 125,000.

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The key thing with motorcyclists is that they are at fault in most traffic accidents. Most often, it is due to improper speed.

Beyond driver errors, Mataija pointed to a systemic issue with how traffic offenders are punished. Police analyses reveal that courts often reduce penalties recommended by the police. Last year, out of approximately 900,000 traffic violations, 57% of cases that went to court saw reduced sentences. Mataija specifically criticized the frequent failure to impose driving bans, which he believes sends a detrimental message.

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From what has gone to court, 57 percent of traffic offenses - the penalties have been softened. It very often happens in courts that a protective measure of a driving ban is not imposed, which I think is not good and sends a bad message.

Marko Ševrović, a professor at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences in Zagreb, echoed these concerns. He emphasized the crucial preventive role courts should play by upholding police-proposed sanctions. The statistic that courts soften 57% of minimum penalties proposed by police is, according to Ševrović, a "completely wrong message."

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If there is no certainty of punishment - the situation is not good. The message is to the judiciary to do as they should - impose penalties and protective measures in accordance with legal regulations.