Major inspection operation in Wolfsbach: 80 reports filed and new EU tachograph rules

Inspection technology and 2025 results

On this occasion, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner visited officers of the State Traffic Department (Lower Austria State Police Directorate) at the Wolfsbach traffic checkpoint on July 6, 2026. During the visit, he stressed that the safety of the people was the focus of all measures – both in efforts to combat the smuggling mafia and in the necessary inspections of heavy goods traffic. The Federal Police performs this task in the operational area on behalf of the respective transport authorities and now uses state-of-the-art technology. As a result, inspection success has increased significantly over the past two years – since this technology was introduced – it was further stated.

Since the introduction of the new inspection software in 2024, the number of detected violations has risen significantly, it was further reported. Nearly 83,600 reports were filed in Lower Austria last year for violations in heavy goods traffic, after 15,935 truck inspections had been carried out. The inspection of heavy goods traffic is a central traffic police task to ensure safety on Austrian roads, the Lower Austria State Police Directorate announced.

Around half of the reports concern violations of driving and rest periods. The new software enables, through expanded technical capabilities, a more targeted pre-selection and finer detection of violations. As a result, individual inspections take longer but are significantly more accurate, according to the ministry.

New EU tachograph rules

Parallel to the inspection operation, new EU requirements came into force on July 1, 2026. Second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2) are now mandatory for all commercially used vehicles and vehicle combinations with a permissible total weight of 2.5 to 3.5 tons in international traffic. The aim is to monitor compliance with driving and rest periods more seamlessly and to penalize violations more consistently.

The operation in Wolfsbach also takes place in the context of the migration situation on the eastern border. The number of apprehensions at the once heavily strained Burgenland-Hungarian border has fallen steadily in recent years. In the past week, there were only six apprehensions in Burgenland following an illegal border crossing. In Lower Austria, where no smuggler arrests have been recorded in the West Autobahn area since the beginning of the year, it was further reported.

Link with migration control

The traffic checkpoints in Lower Austria are also used for so-called foreign police grid operations. The aim is to carry out inspection measures to combat the smuggling mafia. The existing checkpoints are thus also intended to serve as a filter against illegal migration and organized crime.

By bundling traffic and foreign police functions at hubs such as Wolfsbach, the Interior Ministry pursues a dual objective: more safety on the roads and less room for maneuver for smuggling networks. The effect, according to the ministry, is continuously evaluated and inspections are adjusted as needed.