The Traffic Law Conference is calling for stricter penalties for cycling under the influence of alcohol and stronger monitoring of mobile-phone use while driving. Cycling should, in future, be punishable with a fine starting at a blood-alcohol level of 1.1 per mille, according to recommendations released on Friday at the conclusion of the annual meeting. Until now, the limit for cyclists has been 1.6 per mille.
Experts propose that a first offense should result in a €250 fine and one point on the driver’s record in Flensburg. According to the experts, even stricter alcohol limits may need to be applied to electric-assist bicycles.
The specialists also argue for nationwide monitoring of phone use at the wheel through so-called phone-detection cameras. A uniform legal basis at the federal level must be created for this, according to another expert recommendation. These devices monitor from overhead structures whether drivers are using a phone. So far, this is regulated only in one federal region. Rhineland-Palatinate.
For violations, drivers should in the future receive two points in Flensburg instead of one, and cyclists should also receive one point, the experts said. Fines for motor-vehicle drivers should likewise be raised to at least €250. The German Police Union (GdP) welcomed the recommendations of the Traffic Law Conference. The union said the current alcohol limit for cyclists is “clearly too high and unnecessarily increases the risk of accidents.”
At the conference, specialists examine current issues involving traffic regulations, insurance law and criminal law. Participants include representatives from politics, the judiciary, public authorities, academic institutions and private-sector organizations. The working groups’ recommendations frequently influence national debates on potential legislative changes.
The conference also made clear once again that it does not intend to alter the existing structure of the driving-license examination. The current testing system “meets the professional requirements in terms of quality and quantity,” according to another recommendation. It also states that the quality of driver training “has priority over cost reduction.”
In mid-October, Patrick Schnieder presented key points for a reform of driving-school training aimed primarily at reducing the cost of obtaining a driver’s license. According to the plans, the catalogue of questions for the theory exam would be reduced, mandatory special driving lessons limited, and theory instruction made fully digital. Trial practice drives with family members are also planned on a test basis.
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