Status: 02/01/2022 1:41 p.m
Wrongly parked or driving too fast – the Berlin police registered 9,973 traffic violations by diplomats last year. A fine of around 200,000 euros would have been due for this – actually. But diplomats enjoy immunity.
Last year, the police registered 9,973 traffic violations by foreign diplomats on Berlin’s streets – but none of them were prosecuted because of the immunity of international embassy staff.
The amount of warning money or fines that were actually due for this, which the diplomats did not have to pay, is a good 200,000 euros. This emerges from a response from the interior administration to a parliamentary question from the CDU.
Parking wrong or speeding
The most frequently detected offenses were parking violations and speeding. The top ten countries affected include Saudi Arabia, Greece, USA, Iraq, Russia, Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Indonesia and Turkmenistan.
Over the past few years, however, the total number of such traffic violations has shown a downward trend. In 2018, more than 21,000 administrative offenses were registered by drivers in cars with diplomatic plates, in 2020 there were 12,570.
traffic accidents and hit-and-run accidents
The behavior of members of the diplomatic staff after accidents continues to give cause for concern. According to the interior administration, they were involved in 46 traffic accidents from January to November 2021, data for December is not yet available. In 28 cases – a good 60 percent – there was a suspicion of escape. In these cases, too, German authorities have no legal authority to impose sanctions.
Currently 2550 vehicles of the diplomatic corps are registered with special plates.