In a German municipality, a political majority decided to install a speed camera. It turned out to be a profitable idea, as over 34,000 drivers missed the speed camera.
A single speed camera in the German municipality of Kirchseeon has already caught over 34,000 drivers. The municipality has long struggled to improve traffic safety along Bundesstraße 304, where many drivers both overtake and speed.
To curb the problem, the municipality installed a speed camera a year ago. The speed camera is located behind a children's garden and has proven to be an effective solution.
During the first year, the speed camera recorded 34,500 speeding violations. The majority of drivers, almost 24,000, were between 6 and 10 km/h too fast. 26 drivers exceeded the speed limit by more than 50 km/h.
"We had tried everything, but we needed a more effective solution to get traffic under control," said Kirchseeon Mayor Jan Paeplow, according to the German media outlet Merkur .
In addition to improving traffic safety, the speed camera has also generated significant revenue for the municipality. In the first year, the speed cameras brought in more than one million euros (approximately 7.5 million Danish kroner).
The municipality plans to use the money to finance various projects.
The speed camera has had a noticeable effect on the number of speeding violations. From January to December 2024, the number dropped from over 4,000 to 2,400 cases per month.
Mayor Paeplow sees a positive development, but emphasizes that improvements are still needed.
"We are on the right track, but we haven't reached our goal yet," he says.
Reactions to the speed camera have been mixed. Some citizens see it as a necessary safety measure, while others criticize it for being a source of revenue for the municipality.
The mayor believes that the speed camera was necessary to "protect the citizens of the municipality."
A few days before New Year's, the speed camera registered over 3,000 speeding violations, which brought the municipality over 100,000 euros.
However, some citizens go much further than just complaining about new speed cameras. Some drivers get so angry that they blow up the speed cameras. Read more about it here .
