The Hamburg police speed camera trailers were damaged 120 times last year. In most cases, the measuring windows of the mobile speed traps were pasted over, sprayed or scratched, said a police spokesman when asked by the German Press Agency. The number of cases increased by 16 compared to the previous year – an increase of a good 15 percent. However, the number of speed camera trailers, which are inconspicuously placed on the side of the road at different locations in the city, has also increased from 14 at the beginning of 2022 to 18 currently. There are expected to be up to 20 more.
According to the information, there was a slight decrease in property damage to the 47 speed measuring systems permanently installed in the city. They were damaged 13 times last year. In 2022 there were still 15 cases. The police also have six so-called mobile speed monitoring vehicles – i.e. cars that measure the speed from inside the vehicle – there was also damage here in 2023.
The mobile devices are in use every day – when they are not being serviced or repaired, said the police spokesman. “As a result, every driver of a motor vehicle must expect that road sections will be monitored at all times in the city to ensure compliance with the permitted speed limit.”
Speed cameras and speeders on Hamburg’s streets bring a lot of money into the city’s coffers: According to the interior authority, the Hanseatic city collected a record sum of over 44 million euros in fines for excessive speed last year – almost three quarters of which were from mobile devices.
