Law enforcement agencies are resuming a long-distance running event.
The German police are gearing up for a week-long campaign, known as "Speedweek" or "Blitzermarathon", starting from Monday, August 4th, 2025. This initiative is part of a coordinated effort across Europe, led by the European Roads Policing Network [1]. The campaign aims to reduce traffic accidents caused by excessive speed and enhance road safety.
During this period, police forces across the country will intensify their patrols and set up more speed enforcement points than usual. The primary focus is on catching speeders and raising public awareness about the dangers of speeding. Regional police authorities, such as the 47 Kreispolizeibehörden in North Rhine-Westphalia, have been instructed to participate actively, with a focus on areas with high speed-related incidents [2][3].
Several federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein, are participating in this campaign. However, some states have not yet provided specific information about their participation [4].
The "Speedweek" is expected to raise awareness of the persistent issue and dangers of speeding once again. Intensified speed controls have been proven to be an effective way to combat speeding and promote road safety, as stated by Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of the Interior, Tamara Zieschang [5].
Cross-border control days take place twice a year, in April and August, with the spring action being more extensive. It's worth noting that not all federal states in Germany participate in the "Speedweek" [6].
Speed monitoring is aimed at protecting lives on the roads. The police will conduct more controls on accident-prone sections of roads and high-risk areas, such as around schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. Driving too fast has been the main cause of fatal traffic accidents in Baden-Württemberg for years [7].
Scientific evidence suggests a direct link between control pressure, the severity of penalties, and changes in behaviour [8]. The police's efforts during the "Speedweek" are part of a broader strategy to deter speeding and prevent fatalities and injuries on German roads.
Other European countries also participate in this initiative, making it a pan-European effort to promote road safety and combat speeding. The specific locations in Germany where controls will take place were not specified in the article [1].
[1] European Roads Policing Network: https://www.erpn.eu/ [2] NRW-Polizei: https://www.polizei.nrw.de/ [3] ADAC: https://www.adac.de/ [4] German states: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_in_Germany [5] Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of the Interior: https://www.min-inn.sachsen-anhalt.de/ [6] ADAC: https://www.adac.de/ [7] Baden-Württemberg traffic statistics: https://www.statistik-bw.de/ [8] Traffic psychology research: https://www.trafficpsychology.org/
I'm not sure if any general-news articles have been published about the specific states participating in the sports-related campaigns or crime-and-justice initiatives coinciding with the "Speedweek" in Germany. Despite the focus on reducing traffic accidents, it remains uncertain if there will be any measures taken to address speeding incidents in sports venues or crime-related speeding offenses during this period.
