Too fast, too clever, too caught: speed camera app costs driver his license

Image: Dmitrii Pridannikov / Shutterstock.com

Driving at 180 km/h through a 120 zone – and then the police showed up

A 44-year-old driver was traveling on the A4 near Jena in the direction of Dresden at the beginning of the week—and was apparently in a hurry. Instead of sticking to the speed limit of 120 km/h, he pressed hard on the accelerator. He was clocked at a whopping 180 km/h. Shortly before reaching a stationary speed camera, he quickly slammed on the brakes—but that didn't help. It wasn't the speed camera that sealed his fate, but an unmarked police car directly behind him.

What he obviously didn't notice was that the highway police were on the road with an unmarked video measurement vehicle and had long since documented his driving behavior.

Get out your phone, open the app—illegal remains illegal

During the inspection, something else came to light. The officers discovered a so-called speed camera app on the driver's smartphone—a program that warns road users about radar checks. What many drivers do not know or prefer to ignore is that such apps are prohibited in Germany if they are actively used while driving.

This means that anyone who relies on digital warning systems is not operating in a gray area—they are clearly violating traffic regulations (Section 23 (1c) of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO)). In addition to their speeding fine, drivers now face a €75 fine and another point in Flensburg—just for having the app on their cell phone.

Two months' driving ban and an expensive lesson learned

All in all, it will be expensive for the man:

• Over 400 euro fine
• Two points in Flensburg
• Two-month driving ban
• plus the additional 75 euros and another point for illegal app use.

The police also made it clear that anyone who thinks they can use technology to protect themselves from the consequences is mistaken—and, in case of doubt, is endangering other road users. According to statistics, excessive speed is still one of the most common causes of serious accidents on Thuringia's highways.

How we see it

It's almost ironic: an app designed to protect users from penalties ends up causing twice as much trouble. Anyone who thinks they can speed with impunity using technical tricks has failed to understand the principle of road safety. The driver on the A4 probably thought he was being clever—but the really smart ones are those who stick to the speed limit. And let's be honest: if you're driving 60 km/h over the speed limit and get caught, that's not bad luck—it's simply your own fault.

Source: otz.de