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Anyone who drives too fast and gets caught gets a fine – and, for 50 years now, points in Flensburg. Why the system was introduced and what it achieved.
More than ten million people in Germany have a point – approximately one in five drivers. This emerges from figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority from January 1, 2024. For 50 years now, it has been tracking who has a lot of points.
At the beginning of the 1970s, around 21,000 people died on German roads every year. That’s why the so-called “multiple offender point system” was introduced on May 1, 1974, colloquially known as the “point in Flensburg”. Since then, fewer people have died in traffic, even though there are now almost three times as many cars, trucks and motorcycles registered.
Data from the Federal Statistical Office show that 2,817 people were killed in traffic accidents last year. But it’s not just the “Point from Flensburg” that has an influence on this. The ADAC points out that cars, for example, have also become safer. At the same time, laws such as the alcohol limit have led to fewer deaths in traffic.
“fitness to drive”Rating System”
In 2014, the “multiple offender point system” was reformed. Since then it has been officially called the “Driving Fitness Assessment System”. The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) said on request that it should be structured more simply.
There are three points for serious violations and criminal offenses. One point is awarded for so-called “traffic safety-impairing or equivalent administrative offenses”. If you get eight points, your driver’s license will be lost for at least six months.
Once five points have been collected, drivers can reduce one point themselves. To do this, you must attend a driving fitness seminar.
The system works well, says a spokesman for the General German Automobile Club (ADAC). Drivers who don’t care about fines and warnings and who endanger others are filtered out. They would then lose their driving license.
Men score more points
Most people have recently received a point for driving too fast. Overall, 75 percent of registered points collectors are men. According to the authority, it is not clear from the KBA data why there are such large differences between the sexes. The ADAC also has “no information” about this.
According to a press spokeswoman, the KBA no longer knows why the first point was awarded because the points collected will be deleted. Depending on the severity of the violation, this takes between two and a half and ten years.