Bilger backs phone-use cameras across Germany

Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) wants to enable the use of so-called phone-use cameras nationwide. He announced that, also at the request of the federal states, he would push for a uniform solution. This would require a provision in the Road Traffic Act. Bilger points to accident figures: according to him, more than 1,000 accidents occur each year in which electronic devices such as mobile phones at the wheel play a role.

How the cameras work

The technology is often referred to as a Monocam. The cameras are usually mounted on bridges over roads and capture vehicles diagonally from above through the windscreen. Software searches the images for a mobile phone in the area of the driver and for a matching hand position. If the system detects corresponding features, the image is submitted for review. The final decision on an offence is not made by the software, but by trained police personnel.

The federal states had previously called on the federal government to create a uniform and technology-neutral legal basis. The background is concern about differing rules in the federal states. Because the cameras initially also capture images in which it has not yet been determined whether an offence has been committed, their use requires a clear legal basis. In Rhineland-Palatinate, Monocams are already in regular operation; other states have created their own rules or are working on them. A nationwide rollout has therefore not yet been decided.

Penalties for mobile phone offences

• Anyone who holds and uses a mobile phone while driving faces a fine of 100 euros and one point in the driving aptitude register.
• If others are endangered, the fine rises to 150 euros.
• If an accident occurs, 200 euros are due.
• In the two more serious cases, two points and a one-month driving ban also threaten.

Making phone calls in the car is not generally prohibited. Calls via a hands-free system, a permanently installed vehicle system or a Bluetooth headset are permitted. What is prohibited is taking the mobile phone in hand or holding it to the ear while driving.