The German Road Safety Council (DVR) is calling for significantly higher fines for drivers caught using a smartphone, arguing that the current penalties do not adequately address the danger. The group also supports Transport Minister Steffen Bilger’s proposal to introduce cameras designed to identify drivers holding a phone while driving.

DVR president Manfred Wirsch described the proposed “mobile phone cameras” as a useful investment in road safety. He said drivers may be less likely to pick up a smartphone if they know that violations could be detected at any time.

Wirsch cited trial results from Germany and abroad. During a test in Trier, detected phone use behind the wheel fell by about 70 percent. In Australia’s New South Wales, the number of violations has dropped by around 82 percent since 2019, he said.

The DVR also pointed to Federal Statistical Office figures for 2025. More than 1,100 injury crashes that year were recorded as involving the use of electronic devices. Those crashes resulted in 15 deaths, 199 people seriously injured and 1,257 with minor injuries. The figures cover electronic devices broadly, not smartphones alone.

Wirsch said the current fines are too low compared with the risks. He called for the penalty to be raised to at least €500, citing the fine for violating Germany’s 0.5-per-mille alcohol limit. He also referred to a study published this year which found that collision risk while distracted by smartphones, touchscreens and other digital applications was higher than under a simulated blood alcohol level of 0.8 per mille.

Under current rules, drivers caught making a call while holding a phone face a €100 fine and one point on their driving record, according to the ADAC. The fine rises to €150 if the violation endangers others and €200 if it causes a crash; those cases also carry two points and a one-month driving ban.

The proposed Monocam system uses high-resolution cameras angled down through a vehicle’s windscreen. It looks for a mobile phone in the driver’s area and a corresponding hand position. When both are detected, the camera takes an image, which trained police officers then assess.

Phone conversations while driving are not entirely prohibited, the ADAC says. Calls using a hands-free system, a vehicle’s built-in system or a Bluetooth headset are permitted. Holding a phone or placing it to the ear while driving is prohibited.

Sources: t3n.