Cologne leads the list of traffic offenders: 58% more points than average!

Cologne leads the list of traffic offenders: 58% more points than average!

Road safety in Germany has received a lot of attention in recent years. Particularly interesting is a current evaluation by Verivox, which took a closer look at traffic offenders in the largest German cities. And the result is clear: Cologne has the highest proportion of traffic offenders, with Cologne drivers having entries in the Flensburg central traffic register a whopping 58% more often than the average. So there's a real can of worms in there!

But Cologne is not alone on the sinners' bench. Other cities are also making a name for themselves with high levels of violations. Augsburg recorded 51% above average and Chemnitz followed with 47%. Gelsenkirchen also has a remarkable value of 45% above the average. These are all communities where it is better not to drive too fast!

The top 10 traffic offender cities

Here is the list of cities with the most traffic offenders:

• Köln (Index 158)
• Augsburg (Index 151)
• Chemnitz (Index 147)
• Gelsenkirchen (Index 145)
• Bielefeld (Index 140)
• Münster (Index 131)
• Bonn (Index 129)
• Leipzig (Index 127)
• Dresden (Index 124)
• Stuttgart (Index 123)

At the state level, North Rhine-Westphalia also ranks at the top with a traffic offender rate that is 15% above average. Saxony, Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg follow with 10%, 3% and 1% above average. In stark contrast is Berlin, which brings up the rear with an index of 73. Here the traffic rules seem to be a little more relaxed.

The central traffic register in focus

An important aspect in this context is the central traffic register (VZR). According to the Justiz NRW, it stores administrative processes and is used to detect conspicuous drivers. Each traffic violation is assessed in the form of points. If you get eight points you will receive a first warning, and if you get 13 points you have to take part in an advanced seminar. If someone achieves 18 points within two years, their driving license is usually revoked.

The deadlines for repaying points are clearly regulated: administrative offenses expire after two years, provided there are no further entries. It should be noted that alcohol-related offenses are particularly exempt from this. As a rule, points are not perceived to have a direct impact on insurance premiums, but hiding points can result in serious penalties.

Traffic incidents: an overview

The official statistics on traffic violations, which can be found on the KBA website, show that over 3.8 million administrative offenses were registered in 2024. Speeding is the most common form of traffic violation, both among men and women. This shows that there is still a lot of room for improvement here: more consideration and less gas can only be beneficial for all road users.

The topic of traffic violations remains exciting and is a clear sign that many drivers do not yet take their responsibilities on the road seriously. It remains to be seen whether static measures or more information can be used to sustainably change driving behavior.