If you don't form a rescue lane, you stand in the way of helpers and risk human lives. The Baden-Württemberg police are now arming themselves in the fight against road blockers.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - They should target rescue lane offenders and convict dangerous speeders: The police have equipped service vehicles nationwide with so-called dashcams ("dashboard camera") to document traffic offenders. After a pilot phase, video cameras have now been installed in 100 of the approximately 5,000 police vehicles, the Ministry of the Interior told the German Press Agency in Stuttgart when asked. The equipment costs around 600,000 euros.
A spokesman for the ministry said it was about traffic monitoring, especially when creating emergency lanes. It is crucial for the police and rescue workers to first get to the scene of the accident for rescue. With the cameras, traffic offenders could be tracked afterwards. The cameras can also be useful for recording illegal vehicle races. The videos may only be switched on if there is initial suspicion of a criminal offense or a significant administrative offence.
The spokesman explained the use of the new technology as traffic is getting heavier. Increasingly complex traffic processes required that "traffic offenses or traffic offenses be documented and tracked conclusively by video recordings," the ministry said. Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) wants to present the dashcam systems to the public on Monday at the Ludwigsburg Traffic Police Inspectorate.
