Court Fines Driver €60
The driver claimed his Fiat Scudo broke down and he couldn't roll up the window, but the court didn't believe him. He was fined a total of €60.
The driver claimed his Fiat Scudo broke down and he couldn't roll up the window, but the court didn't believe him. He was fined a total of €60.
The Municipal Misdemeanor Court in Zagreb has final ruling fined a driver who left his cargo Fiat Scudo unlocked, with the window down and keys inside-in the middle of the left traffic lane at the intersection of Maksimirska and Svetica. The incident occurred on February 7, 2024, around 11:40 PM, and the verdict was delivered on April 16, 2026, confirming what many drivers either don't know or easily overlook.
Police at the scene found an empty, unlocked vehicle with keys inside and the driver's window down, which, by its position in the left lane, directly obstructed the normal flow of traffic. The car wasn't just improperly parked-it was an active hazard at one of Zagreb's busiest intersections.
In court, the driver offered a significantly different account of events, claiming it wasn't negligence but a breakdown. The car, as he explained, simply stalled and he couldn't restart or move it; the electrical failure also prevented him from rolling up the window. Since his phone battery had died earlier, he couldn't call for help, so he marked the vehicle with a warning triangle and walked to a friend's place a few minutes away-they planned to return with the friend's car and try to jump-start the Fiat. When they came back, the car was gone. The court did not accept this version.
This case highlights a provision in Article 88 of the Road Traffic Safety Act that requires drivers, before leaving their vehicle on the road, to take all measures to prevent it from moving on its own or being set in motion by an unauthorized person. The law explicitly mandates turning off the engine, closing windows, locking the vehicle, and taking the keys-so simply turning off the engine and quickly leaving isn't enough, no matter how short your absence. Violating this obligation carries a fine of €30.
The keys, however, weren't the only issue. The court also found the driver guilty of leaving the car in the traffic lane-which obstructed the normal flow of traffic-and fined him an additional €30 for that. This brought the total fine to €60, with the provision that if the driver pays two-thirds of the amount within the specified deadline, the fine is considered fully paid. A third charge, regarding technical defects in the vehicle, was dropped because the prosecution failed to specify how those defects were established-on that point, the court acquitted the driver.
