New Rules are Coming for Road Users in Croatia

November the 2nd, 2026 – New rules are coming into force for road users across Croatia, with higher penalties and significant amendments to the Road Traffic Act. The Ministry of the Interior has now released for public consultation a draft of amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Act. Index reports that it will introduce significantly stricter penalties for dangerous behaviour in traffic, new parking rules and easier removal of vehicles by tow truck, as well as special registration plates for taxis and electric cars. higher fines for those filming and posting dangerous driving One of the key novelties concerns drivers who film their own dangerous driving in order to post it on social media, which the legislator now treats as a significantly more serious offence. While such behaviour was previously punished as ordinary mobile phone use while driving with a fixed fine of 130 euros, the new proposal introduces fines of 800 to as much as 2,000 euros for anyone who uses a mobile phone or other device while driving to record their own unlawful behaviour and then makes it publicly available. The explanatory notes state that such posts have additional social harm because they encourage others to imitate them and normalise dangerous driving patterns. police no longer need to attend minor collisions For the first time ever, the law defines the concept of a “minor traffic accident,” which means an accident involving only material damage that does not impair the technical soundness of essential parts of the car and allows it to be easily removed from the road. Under the new Article 182, police officers are no longer obliged to go to the scene of such an accident if the participants are able to exchange details with each other or complete the European Accident Statement. Drivers who nevertheless refuse to immediately move their cars off the carriageway and continue to block traffic while waiting for the police will be fined 200 euros, whereas the fine until now was 60 euros. a total ban on parking on squares The draft also introduces the concept of a restricted traffic zone into the law, together with significantly stricter rules for stopping and parking in city centres. The previous practice whereby drivers, especially delivery vehicles, parked in city squares and pedestrian zones while invoking the rule about leaving a 1.60-metre passage for pedestrians will no longer apply. Article 82 introduces an absolute ban on stopping and parking in squares, in cultural-historical complexes and on surfaces that local authorities have designated exclusively for pedestrians, regardless of how much free space remains. At the same time, the rules for the operation of the tow-truck service are also changing. A tow truck will be legally able to lift an improperly parked vehicle from the pavement if the free passage between the car and any obstacle is less than one metre. An obstacle is no longer considered only a building, but also bollards, waste bins, outdoor café terraces or any other physical obstacle on the sidewalk. special registration plates for taxis and electric cars The law also introduces the obligation to issue special registration plates for two categories of vehicles — taxis and electric-powered cars. While in the case of taxis this is about easier control and alignment with market rules, for electric cars the reason is directly linked to the safety of emergency services. Lithium-ion batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles, in the event of a collision and fire, generate extremely high temperatures, release toxic gases and require completely different firefighting tactics from classic petrol and diesel engines. Special plates will enable firefighters, already upon arrival at the scene of a traffic accident, to recognise electric propulsion and immediately apply the appropriate extinguishing and rescue procedure. The post New Rules are Coming for Road Users in Croatia appeared first on Total Croatia .