Germany Considers Legalising Speed Camera Warnings

[MaFt]

The German Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer, has announced that they are looking into legalising speed camera warning systems such as our own CamerAlert database. At present German law is a bit of a grey area to say the least - speed camera warnings are classed as a detection method and are currently illegal to use according to German law. However it is up to each state/area to actually decide if they will adopt this law and, again, whether they bother to enforce it. Our opinion is that they don't and that is why we still include the German cameras in our database.

The proposals seek to allow the use of location-based warning systems but still keep actual radar detectors illegal. The argument put forward is one that we're all familiar with here in the UK "If speed cameras were installed at accident black spots, it would be useful if as many people would be made ​​aware of this hazard." (translated by Google)

There is, as always, some opposition - this time from the Green party. Winfried Hermann says "Who wants to allow detectors makes himself the accomplice of a rule violator." (translated by Google and Lutz)

A possible side effect of allowing Speed Camera warnings to be used would be that they may also put up camera warnings signs on the roads. According to Jacqueline Grünewald of ADAC (a German drivers' association) this is "because not every driver has a GPS or a smartphone". ADAC have also said "We know of no case in which a motorist was prosecuted" for using a smartphone camera warning app - again confirming our own opinion.

One interesting loophole that is pointed out is that it would be perfectly legal for a passenger to use such a warning device and simply tell the driver! I wonder if that would work in France?

So, what do you think? Do the proposals make sense? Should Germany allow the use of camera warnings (but not active detection) much the same as we do here in the UK? Or do you have a different take on the proposals?

Sources: http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/blitzer106.html and http://www1.wdr.de/themen/panorama/blitzerwarner100.html

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[DeLorean]

Last year I was pulled over by the German police (about 2am in the morning) as I was about to cross into Poland
My TomTom was showing numerous speed cameras and beeping away quite happily, but they weren’t interested in the slightest
Once they'd verified my cars VIN number I was set free
Later a German friend told me that the illegal use of speed camera warnings on Sat Nav’s was regional and a very grey area and not one person to date had been convicted
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🔸🔸 Currently using TomTom GO 940 & Locus Map 🔸🔸

[GPS4U_UK]

[spook51]

I think this is about speed camera locations rather then being pulled over, a rather different method of enforcement. Cameras have been used in Germany since the 1960s when my Dad showed me photo of the back of his staff car as it passed a concealed camera so this proposal to make locations publically available without the risk of penalty has been a long time coming!

[DeLorean]

TomTom don't seem to be quite sure
http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5560
It's a shame you can't make icons transparent on the X10 range to avoid any interest whilst driving through "problem" countries
Perhaps I'll use an ice cream icon and try to bluff my way through any encounters with the foreign fuzz by saying they’re ice cream vendor locations (any similarity with speed camera location is purely coincidence)
_________________
🔸🔸 Currently using TomTom GO 940 & Locus Map 🔸🔸

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