Overview

• Karl-Heinz Banse, president of the German Fire Brigade Association, has urged that gawkers face driver’s license suspension similar to penalties for phone use while driving.
• Current German law under §201a StGB allows up to two years’ imprisonment or fines for filming accident victims or the deceased, but authorities say enforcement falls short.
• Firefighters report that bystanders distracted from rescues force them to divide attention between saving lives and pushing back gawkers.
• Lawmakers from the governing parties have backed Banse’s proposal, suggesting that draft legislation could follow in coming weeks.
• Some legal experts recommend phone confiscation as a targeted alternative measure to discourage those who record or obstruct emergency responses.