Car racers on Ku’damm threatened by Germany’s first ever noise camera
Causing unnecessary noise with your vehicle can carry a fine of 100 euros
We’ve all seen them. Walk down Berlin’s famous luxury shopping street of Kurfürstendamm and you’re bound to see some boy racers rev their engines and tear off down the road. Soon, these petrol heads are going to have to deal with a new threat to their favourite pastime. Berlin has installed the country’s first noise camera near theKaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
Since last Wednesday, a device equipped with four microphones and a 180-degree wide-angle camera has been collecting data in an attempt to identify loud vehicles who may be breaking the law by revving their engines or having illegally modified exhausts. The scheme is part of a trial with Berlin’s Technical University (TU) which is expected to last for the next 8 weeks.
At this stage, data from the cars and faces of the drivers is not being stored, so none of the people captured with this new device can expect punishment. According to Germany’s traffic regulations, causing unnecessary noise with your vehicle can carry a fine of 100 euros.
