On the one hand, the Cologne Transport Department, which is in charge of checking the radars on the streets, in Veldrubska, Ovkareka, K Krzyszowska and the neighboring towns of Korenice and Bekvari, has done nothing illegal. Charges fines for violation of regulations.
On the other hand, however, the office is very strict compared to other central Bohemian towns, with drivers getting away without fines even for driving at 57 kilometers per hour.
A “thief” or a whip for drivers?
Police officers and constables are required by law to take into account the deviation given by the measured inaccuracy of the measurement, i.e. 3 kilometers per hour at a speed of 100 km per hour.
So a fine is only imposed if the radar detects at least 54 km/h. Then subtract three and the result is 51 km/h. In some town halls, this is a minor offense from which drivers get away with impunity. In Cologne, however, there is a reason for the fine.
“4 km / h above the maximum speed allowed in the village – i.e. 51 km / h, if the possible deviation of the measuring device is taken into account – is suspected of committing a crime to the transport department. City office,” confirms Sarka Hruba, the spokesperson of the Cologne City Hall.
A speed that has been reduced enough to reveal a crime, the new measuring devices began operating in Cologne in September.
“The purpose of this change is primarily to ensure safety in limited sections where the traffic risk is high. That is why it is necessary to punish this type of illegal behavior as well,” points out Hruba.
Although it is true that several wide roads through the city or on Ovčárecká Street divert traffic from Kolin to the nearby Toyota car factory, forcing many drivers to step on the gas, many residents are surprised by the uncompromising measure.
City Hall explains the increased strictness as its attempt to calm traffic, which critics see as an overly strict measure.
“Cologne City Hall has decided to follow the path of repression, regardless of the practice from other cities, whatever the cost. In today’s difficult times, I think this is very unfair to the citizens. Setting a limit of 54 kilometers per hour is too strict, one might even say bullying, and It can only be guessed how much money the city is earning from the violations,” believes Cologne opposition representative Karel Karnik (ANO).
57 when not a sin
In other central Bohemian cities, they are actually very kind to drivers. They are, for example, Říčany, which has more than twenty divisional measures.
“Although the lowest speed we can issue a fine for is 51 km/h, taking deviation into account, we are very tolerant here. However, for obvious reasons, I will not tell you how much our radars are set. We base it on the risk of division measured in the agreement between the state and city police. First of all, we decide,” explains Michael Silinger, head of the administrative agenda and transport department at Čačany Town Hall.
Two fixed radars monitor traffic in Mladá Boleslav. “In this, we have been notified of violations measured at a speed of at least 60 km/h, which means 57 km/h after deducting the possible deviation,” notes Hana Havlikova, an official at the Department of Transport and Road Management. Municipality of Mladá Boleslav.
The same limits apply in Slane, where drivers will only be fined if the radar detects a speed of 57 kilometers per hour.
“We have radars that take deviation into account in two places and we are thinking about buying a third one. We register the biggest problems with not keeping the speed on Dukelských hrdinů street on the outskirts of the city,” says Lucie Krikova from Slanské Town Hall.
Somutov wrote the draft
In addition to exceeding the speed limit, the town hall also takes into account its social harm in administrative proceedings, i.e. if the driver has committed a crime and endangered road safety.
In this regard, the ruling of the Supreme Administrative Court in 2008 is striking in this regard, in which he forgave a person fined 1,500 crowns by the municipal office in Somuto and 1,000 crowns for legal costs. The speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour, just before the sign marking the end of the village.
According to the judgment of the court at that time, when making a decision, the social harm of actions must always be taken into account.
“In our city, we evaluate it in an administrative action to discuss a misbehavior. This material essence must be related to the person of the driver or the direct circumstances of his actions,” says Hruba, a spokesman based in Cologne.
