Mainz introduces Monocam: cell phone at the wheel is now being digitally followed!

Mainz introduces Monocam: cell phone at the wheel is now being digitally followed!

On April 11, 2025, Rhineland-Palatinate took an important step to combat distractions at the wheel. In Mainz, an innovative camera was introduced that drives drivers while using mobile phones while driving. This special camera, known as Monocam, is able to observe vehicles from an increased position, for example from a bridge. According to SWR is used to recognize whether the driver holds a cell phone in hand. In the event of an identified violation, a picture is taken, which is then checked by the police.

The regulation stipulates that a fine of 100 euros and a point in Flensburg threaten to do so in the event of a reception period of cell phone use. The monocam is now regularly used on a motorway bridge of the A60, at the level of the Mainz Finthen. This represents the first regular use of such cameras in Germany.

collaboration and education

Rhineland-Palatinate goes one step further after there have been tests with the technology two years earlier. Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) said that Rhineland-Palatinate was the first region in Germany to test the Monocam technology. The police worked closely with the Dutch police, who have already successfully used this technology. Most recently, the cameras were deployed in the police headquarters of Trier and Mainz for a total of six months, during which 941 were documented on the A60.

"A look at the cell phone at 100 km / h leads to a blind flight of about 30 meters," warned Ebling. This statement is underpinned by the fact that around 1,000 accidents in Rhineland-Palatinate are counted in Rhineland-Palatinate due to distractions through cell phone use. In the past year, in these accidents, three deaths occurred, which underlines the urgency, through legal regulations and technical monitoring, underlines traffic safety.

legal foundations and future plans

A new police law that came into force at the beginning of March creates the legal framework for the use of the monocam. The regulation allows the police to take appropriate recordings and to collect and store personal data. These measures aim to not only account for traffic offenders, but also to avoid preventive accidents. Ebling also explained that all five police headquarters in Rhineland-Palatinate should be equipped with monocams.

The introduction of such technologies can also be seen in the context of a nationwide need for educational needs on the subject of distraction in road traffic. According to dvr.de Distraction is the cause of every tenth fatal accident on German roads. It is emphasized that information and educational campaigns are crucial to sensitize the automotiveists to the dangers of distractions and to pave the way for safer driving.