Verdict
Speed camera apps: Use in the vehicle prohibited – no matter for whom
It was previously unclear who was allowed to use speed camera apps.
© Daniel Löb / DPA
The use of speed camera apps is prohibited in Germany. A court has now confirmed that this applies to all occupants of a vehicle – not just the driver.
According to a ruling by the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court, the use of a speed camera app while driving is also prohibited if a passenger has the app running on their cell phone. That was the decision of the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe in a judgment published on Thursday, thereby dismissing the lawsuit brought by a 64-year-old driver from the Rhein-Neckar district.
Sued for a fine of 100 euros – and lost
The man was stopped by police officers at the end of January 2022 when he was driving through Heidelberg much too quickly, the court said. When the officers checked him, he deliberately pushed his passenger’s cell phone to the side. The police discovered the app anyway, so the district court of Heidelberg imposed a fine of 100 euros on the driver, which the man did not want to pay.
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However, the Higher Regional Court has now ruled that the punishment was legal. The road traffic regulations not only prohibit a driver from using an app with speed camera warnings. It is also forbidden to have such an app actively running on the cell phone of another vehicle occupant.
1 comment
DDR at work (again). Just accept the fine for speeding but never ever show your phone to anyone, including police. Never give your phone unless it’s locked. It’s not of their business what’s on your phone