BERLIN (HPD) — A court in Germany ruled Thursday that driving an SUV is not in itself a reason to impose higher fines for a traffic violation.
The Frankfurt regional court’s decision overturns a lower court ruling against a motorist who ran a red light, which could have set precedents for similar cases.
The lower court’s verdict in June argued that the SUV’s shape, with its raised hood, means the driver’s violation poses a greater risk to pedestrians than if the defendant had driven a smaller vehicle.
The motorist’s appeal did not change the sentence, however. The regional court ruled that the defendant’s traffic history justified ordering him to pay 350 euros ($343) — nearly double the regular fine — and imposed a one-month suspension.