Reckless Driving

Reckless driving by law enforcement during the transport of people on the move is a widespread and dangerous practise. Frequently, people are crammed into overcrowded and poorly ventilated vehicles without safety measures like seatbelts or even seats, and then forced to ensure long, reckless, and high-speed driving.

“The whole group was then pushed inside the van, where the respondent recalls that there wasn’t enough space and seats for everybody: one person had to sit on the ground and the others squeezed together on the seated benches on the sides. The ride took approximately 40 minutes, and the respondent recalls: “It was too much dangerous driving. Fast and brake. Fast and brake. Two people vomited. There was not enough oxygen and it was too hot inside”.”

-Respondent in Bihać

Reckless driving violates several fundamental human rights and legal protections. Under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Article 3 prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment, which includes reckless endangerment of individuals’ lives and well-being during transportation. This practice also breaches international transport safety standards and the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which require law enforcement officers to prioritize the safety and dignity of individuals in their custody.

The practise of reckless driving shows that the actions of police and law enforcement are not about securing safety but about terror – and even car drives are weaponised as a form of intimidation and violence.