Nuisance. Riesa’s new speed camera technology has been in service for a good month. The start falls at a time when a phenomenon can be seen in road traffic that has to do with the Corona situation: drivers with masks.
Riesa’s head of public order, Sebastian Fleck, has the impression that older people tend to leave their mouth and nose covers on when driving. But younger drivers also wear masks, a look behind the windshield on Riesa’s main traffic arteries shows.
Veiling ban in the Road Traffic Regulations
However, the legislature does not want to hide behind the wheel – in order to be able to identify and punish drivers who violate traffic rules. “Anyone who drives a motor vehicle must not cover or cover their face in such a way that they can no longer be recognized,” says Paragraph 23 of the Road Traffic Act. There is an exception for motorcyclists who are required to wear a helmet. Anyone who disguises themselves as a motorist risks a fine of 60 euros.
Current infection protection rules seem to contradict this to a certain extent. The Corona Protection Ordinance provides that mouth and nose covers should be worn on public transport for passenger transport such as taxis or transport services – by “users”. The taxi cooperative in Riesa does not see a duty for the driver. You are free to wear a mask, says chairman Frank Dill.
If a taxi driver wears a mask and is flashed, it is no problem to identify the person because of the logbook, says the head of the regulatory office, Sebastian Fleck. It could be different with normal drivers.
Mask makes investigations more difficult
In principle, it does not matter whether the person behind the wheel wears a mask or not: If a vehicle is flashed, the fine procedure runs as usual, explains the regulatory office. In other words: The vehicle owner determined on the basis of the license plate receives the notice of the fine and can explain himself.
If a driver cannot be identified because his face is covered by mouth and nose protection, the vehicle owner can be ordered to keep a logbook in the future. However, some lawyers have doubts whether such a sanction would stand in front of a court.
The Ergo insurance company points out in a guide on the subject that drivers generally do not need a face mask when driving, as there is hardly any risk of infection in the car when driving solo. Anyone traveling with unfamiliar passengers and wearing a mask should make sure that essential facial features such as the cheeks and chin are recognizable. People who wear glasses are advised to have a clear view. Otherwise there could be joint liability in the event of an accident.
Riesa’s police station chief Andreas Wnuck also points out the accident risks that can result from wearing mouth and nose protection at the wheel. The mask could slip and thus impair the field of vision. So far, he does not see the phenomenon as too big a problem. He is not aware of a case in which motorists wearing mouth and nose protection have fined his area.
Read more local news from Riesa here.
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