Federal government focuses on more traffic safety and quality of life with StVO reform Mobility Minister Hanke: "With this amendment, we are bringing the Highway Code into the 21st century"
During a press conference, Mobility Minister Peter Hanke today presented the review draft of the planned omnibus amendment to the Highway Code (StVO), along with the transport spokespeople Joachim Schnabel (ÖVP), Wolfgang Moitzi (SPÖ), and Dominik Oberhofer (NEOS), as well as changes to the Motor Vehicles Act (KFG) and Driving Licence Act (FSG).
The comprehensive legislative package is intended to significantly improve traffic safety and quality of life in Austria. Specifically, the omnibus amendment draft includes:
- The facilitation of traffic calming through automated access management
- The relocation of 'e-mopeds' from cycle paths onto the road
- Conduct and equipment regulations for e-scooters and e-bikes, including an expanded helmet requirement.
The omnibus amendment draft will now enter a six-week review phase and is set to come into force on May 1, 2026. The implementation of changes regarding e-mopeds is planned for October 1, 2026.
Mobility Minister Hanke stated in his introduction: "The Highway Code (StVO) is the set of rules in which we define how we interact in road traffic. However, over the past decades, new forms of mobility have emerged that pose a danger to themselves and others in many places. The StVO has not kept pace with these developments so far, and this needs to be addressed now. With this reform, we are bringing the StVO into the 21st century and addressing the new forms of mobility. This serves traffic safety and the quality of life for all Austrians."
"E-mopeds" will soon no longer be considered bicycles
Widely demanded by the urban population and announced in the summer, e-mopeds (L1-eB), which are currently classified as bicycles under the Highway Code, will now be incorporated into the Motor Vehicles Act and thereby transitioned onto roads. As such, they will be recognised as motor vehicles in the future, bringing with them a series of obligations, including mandatory licensing (number plates), insurance requirement, driving licence requirement, and helmet requirement. With this new provision, the federal government closes a gap in the Highway Code (StVO), contributing to greater clarity and transparency in road traffic. To make the new regulations more palatable for those affected, they will only take effect from October 1, 2026.
SPÖ transport spokesman Wolfgang Moitzi stated: "A small e-moped is not a bicycle and should not be treated as such. In future, e-mopeds will no longer be allowed to ride on cycle paths; rules similar to those for other motor vehicles will apply to them. This is a major success for order and safety in traffic. Delivery services, in particular, use small e-mopeds for their important work. They should be able to adjust to the changes as best as possible, therefore the new rules will not come into effect until October 2026. It is important to me that we do not leave the workers alone. They are under considerable time pressure in their work. Therefore, alongside traffic safety, we are also strengthening the employment rights of these workers. This includes, among other things, the new possibility of negotiating a collective agreement for outsourced workers and the implementation of the platform work directive as envisaged in the government's programme."
Amendment facilitates camera-based traffic calming
The Ministry of Mobility is creating a clear legal framework for the use of camera-based systems for traffic calming in municipalities. In future, entry and driving bans for multi-lane motor vehicles in a defined area can be monitored within the framework of automated access management.
ÖVP transport spokesman Joachim Schnabel: "Cities and municipalities are receiving, after years of discussion, a new, modern, and internationally recognised tool for efficient traffic organisation, particularly in their centres. We have ensured transparency through signage of camera-based systems and a clearly defined needs assessment by the authority because we did not want a patchwork quilt or a driver rip-off. By limiting the monitoring possibility to driving bans for multi-lane vehicles, we achieve better enforceability and acceptance, promote sustainable mobility and practical relevance."
The aim is to provide municipalities with an appropriate tool to implement efficient traffic calming in favour of traffic safety and quality of life when needed. The systems may only be used in clearly defined access areas – such as entrances to city centres. The camera-monitored areas will be clearly marked for road users with an additional sign bearing a camera symbol and a new ground marking.
Stand-alone camera-based monitoring of bus lanes, footpaths and cycle paths, or pedestrian zones, will not be permitted – except for so-called school streets, where a particular emphasis on traffic calming is given for the welfare of schoolchildren. Furthermore, the draft explicitly exempts single-track motor vehicles, such as motorcycles or mopeds, from automated monitoring. This draft creates a modern, clearly defined, and data protection-compliant framework that provides municipalities and authorities with a targeted and proportionate tool for enforcing important traffic restrictions. It is planned to come into effect on May 1, 2026.
More safety for e-scooter and e-bike riders
The Ministry of Mobility also ensures greater clarity and safety in road traffic and lays down new rules for e-scooters and e-bikes. E-scooters will be clearly defined as vehicles in the future – no longer as small vehicles. Furthermore, clear conduct and equipment regulations are included in the draft.
NEOS transport spokesman Dominik Oberhofer: "It is very pleasing that we have been able to achieve three concrete agreements that ensure greater traffic safety, legal certainty, and quality of life. With the data protection-compliant implementation of the traffic-calmed inner city, we are making our cities more liveable while simultaneously providing clarity for residents and entrepreneurs. Regarding helmet requirements, it was important to balance safety, personal responsibility, and environmentally conscious mobility. That's why there is no blanket obligation that would restrict the completion of the last mile with e-scooters and rental bikes, as we know from other countries. At the same time, the new rules ensure the protection of our youth. And with the clear regulation that e-mopeds must ride on the street in the future, we are fostering better harmony on our cycle paths and thus increasing safety for all road users."
For e-scooters, as of the entry into force of the amendment on May 1, 2026, the following will apply: No passengers or goods transport, mandatory helmet until the age of 16, and the requirement to be equipped with indicators and a bell. In addition, the blood alcohol limit will be reduced from 0.8 percent to 0.5 percent.
Furthermore, safety for e-bike riders will be enhanced: as of now, a helmet requirement applies to all riders up to the age of 14. With these measures, the Ministry of Mobility establishes clear and practical rules that contribute to greater safety in road traffic and responsible handling of new mobility forms.