Sønderborg mayor faces court over uncleared windscreen

Sønderborg Mayor Erik Lauritzen has been charged with violating traffic rules after driving with an inadequately cleaned windscreen, DR reports.

In an interview with DR, the 66-year-old said he drove on a street in Sønderborg on February 20 with a windscreen that had not been properly cleared. Police stopped him after he had driven a few hundred metres.

“I wasn’t thorough enough when cleaning the windscreen and probably had the silly idea that I could see well enough and that the heater would take care of it. It was a stupid mistake,” Lauritzen said.

B.T. has obtained the indictment and reports that it calls for a fine and a conditional disqualification from driving. According to the Danish Road Traffic Agency, Lauritzen will have to take another driving test and a theory test. He could lose his licence if he commits a serious offence within the next three years.

Lauritzen said he accepts that he made a serious mistake and would not deny it. He does not expect the case to have consequences for him as mayor, though he acknowledged that some people may believe a mayor should not behave that way.

He is due to appear at Sønderborg Court on November 19.