In an effort to curb reckless driving, police immediately impounded 2,000 cars within two years.

According to a statement issued by the Danish Ministry of Justice, nearly 2,000 vehicles (cars) have been confiscated two years after the implementation of the law to suppress reckless driving.

Two years ago, the Danish police began enforcing a law to confiscate vehicles used for reckless driving and sell them at auction. Now, two years later, data from the National Police shows that 1,902 cars were confiscated between April 1, 2021 and March 20, 2023 (see the table below the article for the number of cars confiscated in different police departments in Denmark).

The confiscation of vehicles from their owners is a law passed by the parliamentary majority in 2020 as a severe punishment for those who drive their cars at a speed exceeding 100 km/h on a residential road, and for those who participate in street races in the city center or drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In March 2021, new rules regarding reckless driving came into effect. The rules stipulate that police must confiscate the vehicles of reckless drivers at the location where the reckless driving occurred, regardless of ownership. When a vehicle is confiscated, police ultimately have the option of selling the vehicles at auction.

Two years after the law's implementation, Justice Minister Peter Humlgaard believes there are good reasons for enforcing it: “Reckless driving is an affront to our society and to people's lives. In my view, it is deeply reprehensible and we must combat it. Numerous patrols indicate that the crackdown in the area has been incredibly effective. I hope the rules will also have a long-term deterrent effect, so that people think twice before stepping on the accelerator, getting into a car while under the influence, or endangering others through their reckless driving. Next year, we in the government will continue to monitor the impact of the crackdown on reckless driving and continually consider the possibility of further intensifying efforts against it.”.

Facts about reckless driving

According to the Traffic and Penal Code, the following is defined as reckless driving, which subjects the driver to the immediate confiscation of his vehicle:

• Driving at a speed of at least 200 km/h
• Driving at a speed of at least 100 km/h and more than double the speed limit allowed in the area.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol level above 2.00
• Manslaughter under aggravated circumstances
• Intentionally causing imminent danger to someone's life or property
• Negligence causes serious harm to a person’s body or health under aggravated circumstances.

The following table shows data from the Ministry of Justice website on the number of vehicles confiscated by various police departments in Denmark: