From May 27, 2026, the amendments will enter into force in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the Law on the basics of road traffic safety (ZOBS), which for the first time precisely defines the term suspended driving and introduces much stricter penalties for reckless drivers.
According to the information they obtained Independent newspaperthe police will start applying the new provisions from Wednesday, and the penalties for the most serious offenses will reach up to 5,000 KM.
Several different forms of dangerous traffic behavior will be considered as drunken driving. Among other things, this includes situations when a driver runs through a red light two or more times in a 20-minute period, as well as exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 kilometers per hour in the settlement, or by more than 60 kilometers per hour outside the settlement.
Seizure of the vehicle
The new provisions also include overtaking the convoy across the full line, as well as driving a vehicle with more than 1.50 g/kg of alcohol in the blood or under the influence of narcotics and other psychoactive substances.
A particularly strict measure applies to multiple offenders. As stated in the amendments to the law, the police will be able to temporarily confiscate the vehicle on the spot from a driver caught driving while suspended if he has already been punished for the same offense in the previous two years.
Temporarily seized vehicles will be kept at a location determined by the police, until a final court decision is issued.
Fines of 2,000 to 3,000 KM are provided for drivers who seriously endanger other road users through extreme carelessness, along with a six-month driving ban and two penalty points.
Cell phones and belts
In cases where drunken driving leads to a traffic accident, the penalties will be even more severe. Drivers will then pay between 3,000 and 5,000 KM, along with a nine-month driving ban and four penalty points.
Amendments to the ZOBS bring a tightening of penalties for using a mobile phone while driving, as well as for not wearing a seat belt. Fines of 200 to 400 KM are provided for these violations.
If a traffic accident occurs due to using the phone or not wearing a seat belt, the fine will be from 400 to 2,000 KM, with the possibility of driving a vehicle for up to six months and two penalty points.
The new law will sanction the use of radar jamming devices and other systems for recording violations. Fines of 200 to 400 KM are prescribed for such violations, it says Fokus.ba.
(TYPE/Photo: Illustration)
