Overview
- In early November 2026 Transport Minister Steffen Bilger and the Federal Ministry of Transport signalled they will examine a bundesgesetzliche rule to allow MonoCam ‘Handy‑Blitzer’ across Germany.
- MonoCam systems use elevated, high‑resolution cameras that stream images through the windscreen to AI which flags phone‑shaped objects or typical hand‑holding postures and then send stills for trained police officers to manually review before any fine is issued.
- So far only Rheinland‑Pfalz has a legal basis for regular MonoCam use after pilots beginning in 2022, and the Oberlandesgericht Koblenz has criticised earlier, legally unsupported recordings as violating constitutional and data‑protection limits.
- Pilot figures show substantial detections — about 1,268 flagged cases in tests and roughly 700 cases in the first half of 2026 at Trier — while the ADAC says police record roughly 400,000 handheld‑phone offences a year and safety groups are calling for tougher penalties.
- Key questions remain for lawmakers: Bundestag and Bundesrat approval is needed, statutes must define where cameras may operate, how long non‑hit images are deleted, who pays for equipment and manual review, and what legal remedies drivers will have.