Speed camera apps are illegal: is this really true?
Again and again it is said that speed camera apps are illegal - but is that true at all? We'll tell you whether or not you should be warned of speed cameras while driving.
Speed camera apps are not generally illegal
The answer as to whether speed camera apps are generally illegal or not is provided by Section 23 (1b) of the Road Traffic Act (StVO): It states that devices that are intended to display traffic surveillance measures may not be operated or carried. This particularly includes devices for displaying speed measurements.
- The mobile speed camera apps mainly show the permanently installed speed camera boxes. Occasionally, the locations are identified where mobile surveillance measures occur more often. It is therefore at all questionable whether these mobile speed camera apps of the smartphones fall under Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulations or not.
- The speed camera apps do not recognize the mobile laser devices of the police, nor the induction loops or piezo measuring strips embedded in the road surface, by means of which the speed is measured.
- The apps can only be used before speed measurements, because the users report the locations of the flash devices to the program via GPS. This sometimes results in high inaccuracies, depending on how accurate the location survey was.
- According to the current legal situation, the speed camera apps should not fall under § 23 StVO, because smartphones are not intended to display traffic monitoring measures. However, there is still no uniform case law.
- Therefore, the speed camera apps fall into a legal gray area. To be on the safe side, you should always adhere to the speed limits and do not use speed camera apps. In addition, you must never hold your smartphone in your hand while driving, otherwise you will commit an administrative offense.
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