Halle (Saale) focuses on safety: first red light speed cameras installed!

Halle (Saale) focuses on safety: first red light speed cameras installed!

Something is happening on the streets in Halle (Saale): two stationary red light speed cameras have been installed there for the first time. These new speed camera columns are located at two intersections and are intended not only to increase traffic safety, but also to provide hefty additional income for the city's coffers. Specifically, they monitor traffic on Trothaer Straße in the direction of the city center at the intersection with Seebener Straße and on Bundesstraße 80 in the direction of Eisleben, just a stone's throw behind the racetrack intersection. If you look at the numbers, it quickly becomes clear: The city expects the lightning systems to bring up to one million euros into its coffers every year, as dubisthalle.de reports.

But the investment also has its price at around 300,000 euros. Of course, whether this money is worth it in the long term depends on the violations that are now coming to the cameras. The increase in city revenue is intended to take place primarily against the background of a shortage of police personnel and self-proclaimed campaigners against “cherry green drivers” who speed through intersections despite the red light. The new speed cameras should now put an end to this mess.

Fines that are tough

The penalties for running a red light should not be underestimated. As the ADAC explains, there are different fines for red light violations depending on the severity of the offense:

• Mindestens 118,50 Euro und ein Punkt in Flensburg, wenn man die Ampel überfährt.
• 228,50 Euro und zwei Punkte, wenn die Ampel mehr als eine Sekunde rot war.
• 348,50 Euro und zwei Punkte, wenn dadurch jemand gefährdet wurde.
• 368,50 Euro, sollte es zu einem Sachschaden kommen.

But that's not all: if you do it really well, you may even have to expect a driving ban of up to a month. The flash units themselves are technically state-of-the-art, as the Physical-Technical Federal Institute has determined. Among other things, they use induction loops in the road and cameras that precisely document the traffic flow.

Modern technology at work

The new traffic light speed cameras use various technologies to ensure that violations are recorded correctly. When a vehicle crosses the stop line, the first photo is taken. In the event of a red light violation, another photo is taken when the vehicle passes the second induction loop. The flashing devices can also record speeding and even cell phone violations while driving. This makes the lightning systems particularly effective.

Residents and road users in Halle can be curious to see how the situation on the streets will change. Maybe one or two street offenders will soon roll up to the traffic lights very carefully so as not to appear in the photo the next time the camera flashes. In any case, the city seems to have a good hand with this measure to both increase security and replenish its coffers.