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New Speed Marathon: Police Intensify Focus on Speeders
🇩🇪 Germany /Crime & Justice

New Speed Marathon: Police Intensify Focus on Speeders

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • German police are intensifying speed controls nationwide in a "Speedweek" campaign running until Sunday, coinciding with the summer holiday travel period.
  • The initiative, part of a European ROADPOL effort, focuses on accident-prone areas and locations near schools and hospitals to reduce traffic fatalities.
  • While some states provide limited information on check locations, drivers are warned to expect surprise speed traps on highways, federal roads, and urban streets.

Police across Germany are stepping up their focus on speeding drivers with the launch of the "Speedweek" campaign, which began Monday and will continue through Sunday. This intensified enforcement effort is taking place amidst the busy summer travel season, potentially affecting many vacationing motorists.

We will set up our speed measuring devices not only on federal motorways but will concentrate on rural areas, especially avenues.

— Peggy BaierHead of Traffic Police in the Brandenburg Police Directorate West, outlining enforcement focus.

The "Speedweek" is a coordinated action by the European police network ROADPOL, with similar control weeks held each April and August. The primary objective, according to police and interior ministries in participating states, is to reduce the number of severe traffic accidents. In 2025, over 2,800 people died in road traffic accidents in Germany, an increase from the previous year, though significantly lower than in 1995.

Experts identify excessive speed as a frequent cause of accidents. Consequently, drivers can anticipate speed checks, particularly at known accident hotspots. For instance, the Interior Ministries of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia have not disclosed specific locations for mobile and stationary speed cameras. However, authorities in Brandenburg are focusing on rural roads and avenues, in addition to major routes.

The speed is to be adapted to the surroundings. In this respect, a speed limit is also to be understood as a limit and not as a recommendation.

— Ulrich ChiellinoHead of Traffic Policy at ADAC, emphasizing the importance of adhering to speed limits.

The ADAC, a prominent automobile club, supports the "Speedweek" initiative, viewing it as a contribution to road safety by raising drivers' awareness of the dangers of fast driving. However, the club also cautions that such campaigns alone cannot eliminate all road traffic risks. The ADAC and the Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD) advocate for continuous, targeted controls at accident hotspots, criticizing the timing of the "Speedweek" during peak travel times, suggesting it might create the impression of prioritizing revenue generation over safety.

Every road user should question their behavior again and again and change it if necessary.

— Ulrich ChiellinoADAC official urging drivers to continuously reassess and modify their driving habits.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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