One day in March, Uwe K., a resident of Dortmund in Germany, was driving his electric car. The vehicle glided almost silently over the tarmac – a feature that, on this particular day, threatened to become a deadly trap.
At the side of the road, a shadow appeared out of nowhere. A cat was about to cross the street. It had no idea that a multi-tonne vehicle was approaching. It was a matter of split seconds. Uwe reacted instinctively, with unexpected consequences!
A split-second decision
To prevent the worst from happening, he honked his horn to warn the four-legged creature. The reaction was immediate: the cat jumped, turned around, and darted into the safety of a nearby bush. Danger averted. Uwe K. took a deep breath and drove on. It seemed like a happy ending on a public street.
Eight weeks went by. The incident had long since faded from his memory when a plain, official-looking letter suddenly arrived in the Dortmund resident's letterbox. Uwe tore open the envelope – and froze.
What he read inside was almost unbelievably absurd. A five-euro fine. The official charge from the authorities was: "improper use of audible warning signals". He had to pay. Not because he was speeding, but because he had saved an animal's life.
A fine for saving a life
So how did this happen? It turns out Uwe K. and the cat weren't alone. A cyclist had witnessed the life-saving intervention from a distance. But instead of being pleased that a tragedy had been avoided, she didn't hesitate – and anonymously reported the Dortmund resident to the authorities.
For animal lovers, this whole affair is an outrage. But the unyielding letter of the law leaves no room for compassion. According to Germany's Highway Code (StVO), a car horn may only be used in built-up areas to warn other road users of a specific danger.
The authorities ruled coldly: a cat is not legally considered a road user. Uwe K.'s life-saving action was therefore simply deemed an unacceptable noise nuisance. The penalty for the offence: a €5 fine.
It's bitter proof that sometimes, a good deed on the road can backfire in the most baffling way.