More dangerous than driving drunk – using a cell phone while driving will result in a fine of 500 euros

Talking on the wheel of a car with a cell phone to your ear - this is forbidden and, from an expert's point of view, more dangerous than driving with 0.8 per mille of alcohol in your blood. That's why the German Road Safety Council (DVR) is campaigning for significantly higher fines. At the same time, the association supports the initiative of Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) to introduce so-called monocams that can automatically detect whether people are holding a cell phone while driving.

“Cell phone speed cameras are an extremely sensible investment in traffic safety,” said DVR President Manfred Wirsch to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “If you know that a violation can be detected at any time, you are more likely to avoid picking up your smartphone while driving.”

Wirsch cited experiences from home and abroad as evidence of the benefits of cell phone speed cameras. In Trier, for example, the use of cell phones while driving was reduced by around 70 percent during a test. In the Australian state of New South Wales, the number of violations has fallen by around 82 percent since 2019.

According to DVR data from the Federal Statistical Office, how dangerous distracted driving is. According to Wirsch, they reported more than 1,100 accidents with personal injury in 2025 in which the use of electronic devices was recorded as the cause of the accident. "15 people were killed, 199 were seriously injured and 1,257 were slightly injured. However, these numbers refer to electronic devices as a whole and not exclusively to smartphones."

Against this background, the traffic expert considers the previous fines to be too low. Wirsch referred to the 500 euro fine for a violation of the 0.5 alcohol limit: “We are therefore in favor of a significant increase in the fine to at least this amount.” According to a study published this year, "collision risk was higher when distracted by smartphones, touchscreens and other digital applications than when driving at a simulated alcohol level of 0.8 per mille," Wirsch said.

So far 100 euros and one point in Flensburg

According to the ADAC, anyone who is caught using their cell phone while driving will face a fine of 100 euros and one point in Flensburg. If you endanger yourself or cause an accident, the fine increases to 150 or 200 euros. There are also two points and a one-month driving ban.

The German Road Safety Council (DVR) is a non-profit organization based in Berlin. As an umbrella organization, it brings together over 200 member organizations from politics, business, research and civil society that are committed to improving road safety.

Minister Bilger had said: "More than a thousand accidents occur every year due to electronic devices such as cell phones behind the wheel - and the trend is rising. That is clearly too many." Innovative technologies such as cell phone speed cameras would help to punish more consistently and noticeably increase road safety.

Monocams are high-resolution, downward-facing cameras that take photos into the car through the windshield. The Monocam system pays attention to cell phones in the driver's area and the appropriate hand position. If both criteria are met, the camera is triggered. Trained police officers then evaluate the images.

According to the ADAC, making phone calls while driving is not generally prohibited. Telephone calls via a hands-free system, a permanently installed vehicle system or a Bluetooth headset are permitted. However, it is forbidden to hold your cell phone in your hand or to your ear while driving.