Status: 26.12.2023, 10:22 a.m.
By: Anna Liebelt
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Chasing speeders: When Georg Kohlhauf has set up his technology, there is lightning on the side of the road. At least if you don't stick to the speed limit. © Rossmann
Georg Kohlhauf (43) is on the lookout for municipal traffic monitoring throughout the district. The fact that his profession earns him little sympathy does not bother the radar measurement technician. Because he is pursuing a completely different goal.
County – On this cool winter morning, a young man drives his Skoda along the street past the Erich Kästner Elementary and Middle School in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn (Munich district). He seems to be lost in thought, because he has apparently overlooked the red and white speed limit of the 30 km/h zone. With a soft crack, a red flash is triggered shortly afterwards. 52 km/h is shown on the screen of measurement technician Georg Kohlhauf. From 54 km/h, there's a point," he says dryly, while the young man goes into the irons, his tires squealing.
For the past three years, he has been on the trail of Temposüdern
For three years now, Georg Kohlhauf, 43 years old, has been on the trail of speed offenders. Its area of operation extends from the district of Ebersberg to the district of Munich to Bad Tölz and Miesbach. Kohlhauf is commissioned by the respective municipalities. "As a rule, we choose the measuring points ourselves," he explains. So it happens that on this day he set up his radar system directly at the entrance of the school, between a ride-sharing bench and the bus stop. In order to prevent measurement errors, the distances between the devices are precisely matched to the centimeter: As soon as the sensor detects a speeding violation (in this case the limit value is 39 km/h), the camera and thus also the flash triggers. Meanwhile, Kohlhauf watches the action from the teacher's parking lot through the side window of his gray VW bus. Always in view: a laptop on which the numerous black-and-white photos of the speed offenders appear.
The 43-year-old shows physical commitment and sometimes kicks a pile of snow smaller so that the perspective is right. © Rossmann
"Experience has shown," he says, looking intently at the screen, "that it affects those who drive their children to school." But this morning it remains quiet for the time being. The large piles of snow on the side of the road seem to encourage people to drive more cautiously, the measurement technician suspects.
Parcel carriers are particularly often affected
Barely 20 minutes later – the sun has slowly made its way through the grey cloud cover – the world looks completely different: within a very short time, four cars are speeding through the measuring system. Three of them are parcel carriers. "It's really terrible. They are one of our regular customers," Kohlhauf comments on the first delivery person whose head pops up on the screen. The 43-year-old routinely takes note of the speed offender. He won't be the only one on this track.
At the same time, the measurement technician does not mean any harm to the motorists. "I don't like flashing a lot of people," he emphasizes, running his hand through his hair. "For me, it's only worthwhile when people drive slowly and I hardly measure violations anymore." Because then he will have done everything right as a radar technician, Kohlhauf is sure. His goal is not to get as many speeders as possible in front of the lens, but rather to calm the traffic. "The more often I measure at a point, the slower people drive," explains Kohlhauf. That's why he and his system are particularly popular at schools.
Georg Kohlhauf uses a spirit level to check whether everything is set correctly on the speed camera he has just set up. © Rossmann
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But this does not go down well with every motorist. Speeders have often knocked on the side window of Kohlhauf directly after lightning. Very few have shown themselves to be insightful, he regrets. Especially when it comes to the driver's license ban, many drivers become annoyed. "I've been insulted many times," Kohlhauf emphasizes, shaking his head. "From robber baron to asshole, I've heard it all. Once, I was even given the finger."
The fact that such insults are thrown at his head has long since ceased to bother Kohlhauf. In most cases, encounters with speeding offenders are peaceful anyway. "A lot of people just want to know how much they were going too fast," he says. Kohlhauf is also happy to provide this information from time to time – as long as you ask nicely. "I'm not here to make money. But I still can't get rid of my status as a highwayman. I have to live with that."
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