Strict controls on Good Friday: Police stop traffic to the tuning party!

Strict controls on Good Friday: Police stop traffic to the tuning party!

On April 18, 2025, the police started extensive traffic controls on the A61 motorway towards Koblenz, near the “Auf der Hahnen” parking lot. The aim of these controls was to monitor traffic to the popular “Carfriday” event at the Nürburgring. Good Friday has established itself as an important meeting point for car and tuning fans who use the Nordschleife on this day to celebrate legal driving, despite the challenges that arise from high visitor numbers.

During the eight hours of controls, a total of 139 vehicles and 274 people were checked. In this context, the police found four crimes, including violations of the compulsory insurance law and driving without a license. In addition, the officials initiated 37 administrative offense procedures, mostly due to expired operating permits. Five drivers were prohibited and two vehicles had to be towed.

The dimension of controls

The police carried out their measures as part of a “special use of Good Friday”, the focus of which was on the checking of PS-strong vehicles and traffic safety. The technical relief organization supported the emergency services with infrastructure and mobile lifting platforms. The 1100 registered speed overrun were striking, which clearly show how important traffic safety work is, such as Bild.de reported.

like the SWR , the checks on the A61 were supplemented by mobile and stationary units. A special control group was therefore commissioned to discover illegal changes to vehicles. Because inadmissible conversions can not only lead to a loss of the operating license, but also impair insurance coverage. Despite a rainy and cold weather, the number of visitors remained at the level of the previous year.

tuning scene in Germany

The "Carfriday" event in particular attracts the tuning scene, which, as a study by BBE Automotive shows, plays an important role in the German automotive market. Tuning enthusiasts, often male and in the middle of their thirties, see an expansion of their personality in their vehicles. The tuning and retrofitting market generates around 2 billion euros annually. Around 10,000 people are concerned in the industry, with 1,000 specialized workshops exist. In recent years, however, there has been a shortage of skilled workers that will be reinforced by the digitization and electrification of the vehicles, explains the study in question, which was published in December 2023.

A third of the tuning fans, on the other hand, associated the tuning with "Posern" and "Razen", although they only make up a minimal share of 5 % of the scene. The majority of the tuning -savvy are active online, usually procures information and parts on the Internet and brings technical versatility so that over 80 % can work on your vehicles.

Overall, the use of the police on Good Friday not only shows the challenge of ensuring traffic and security at one of the largest tuning events in Germany, but also the diversity and the economic importance of tuning culture that is deeply rooted in the German automotive scene.