First section control trial in Germany

The government of Lower Saxony has announced that it will host Germany’s first trial of average speed checks, also known as ‘section control’. The decision by Germany’s second largest state has been welcomed by the German Road Safety Council (DVR).

The announcement comes several years after neighbouring countries Austria, The Netherlands and Switzerland introduced the technology. The delay in Germany was partly due to concerns over data protection. The DVR says that the system will be able to delete the data on non-speeders immediately, and road sections that use the technology will be clearly marked.

Several studies have shown that average speed checks cut speeding, fines and collisions dramatically and tend to receive higher levels of public support than single location safety cameras.

See story (in German) and ETSC fact sheet on section controls