Do we need cops at minor car accidents?
Published: 14 Aug 12 10:45 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20120814-44345.html
Are police needed at minor car accidents; a dent or a scratch? A German police chief says they are wasting their time on such matters. Is he right, or should a cop be there to ensure everything is done properly? Have your say.
- Minor traffic accidents 'waste police time' - Society (14 Aug 12)
Adults should be able to deal with the consequences of a small prang – exchanging details and making sure all is in order. Wimber said his officers would be better deployed “catching proper crooks” rather than acting as administrators for insurance companies.
The police escorts for special transports should also be scrapped, he said, in favour of private firms which, if specially trained, could easily perform such tasks.
One might think that police forces struggling with budgets might be happy not to have to deal with car dinks, but both police unions rejected the suggestion that they no longer be called to the scene of small accidents.
One warned that those involved could act irrationally and a figure of authority should be there to ensure the situation remains calm and make sure everything is legal and correct.
Do we need a cop to show up for every minor accident? Does the presence of a uniform or two defuse a situation which could otherwise escalate? Or could someone such as an Ordnungsamt official currently used to dole out parking fines do the same job?
Would farming out special load escort duties be the thin end of the police privatisation wedge? Or is it sensible – keep police officers solving and preventing crime.
Should adults be able, and expected, to sort out small administrative details themselves – or is leaving cops out of the equation asking for trouble? Have your say.
Registered users of The Local may add their comments in the field below. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so here – it’s free and only takes a moment.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Roads and taxes rule CDU manifesto
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives plan to woo voters with family-friendly promises and infrastructure spending worth tens of billions of euros in elections three months from now, said a new draft policy manifesto. READ () »
Luther Memorials of Wittenberg and Eisleben
As the summer holidays approach, The Local is touring Germany's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today we visit the Martin Luther memorials in Wittenberg and Eisleben. READ () »
Dentist cut off own finger for insurance cash
A German dentist who was so desperate for cash that he cut off his own finger for the insurance money has been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to a year in prison to be served on parole. The man said he was the victim of an attack. READ () »
Nuclear cuts top Obama's Berlin speech
President Barack Obama said Russian and US nuclear weapons should be slashed by up to a third in a keynote speech in front of Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate in which he called for a world of "peace and justice." READ () »
'Michelle is more popular than her husband'
The Local met a colourful crowd gathered to glimpse First Lady Michelle Obama in Berlin on Wednesday - from the Dutch man who came all the way to Germany to see her, to the commuter annoyed to find his way to work barred by police. READ () »
Germany home to one million millionaires
Germany has the third highest population of millionaires of any country in the world, and according to a study released on Wednesday, their piles of gold are growing faster than the world economy. READ () »
New in German cinemas: ‘Monsters University’
Find movies playing in English in Germany with The Local’s cinema guide. READ () »
Bahn feels heat as cooling systems fail
With temperatures creeping up into the high thirties on Wednesday Deutsche Bahn said broken air conditioning systems could see train cancellations across the country. The network is still battling to get back on track after the floods. READ () »
- 18/06 Attacking Obama 'shows European weakness' »
- 13/06 'I am Senegalese, but firstly I am German' »
- 11/06 'We must learn to give rivers space' »
- 06/06 Sandbag volunteers: 'You have to help' »
- 31/05 Heidi Klum: supermodel, supermum, media mogul »
- 29/05 'Diversity in Germany has become reality' »
- 24/05 'Germany is indifferent to neo-Nazi violence' »
- 22/05 'I hate Wagner but I hate him on my knees' »
- 21/05 Germany's collective blame phobia »
- 16/05 'At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act' »
- 20/06 Cause of 1996 New York - Paris air crash in doubt »
- 20/06 Far right's Le Pen faces prospect of prosecution »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
- 19/06 Norwegian airline to offer free water on long flights »
- 18/06 American tourist dies in Arctic cruise mishap »
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
- 20/06 Moderate Party politician calls for eldercare 'spies' »
- 20/06 Pay deal averts Midsummer train chaos »
More news from Sweden at thelocal.se
- 20/06 Stray cat hunting ban rejected by Swiss MPs »
- 19/06 Murderer jailed for life 15 years after stabbing man »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop - The online supermarket for expats -
Chambervelt Rooselain & Cie Ltd.
Insurance and financial planning for English speakers in Germany -
PsyShrink Munich
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
PsyShrink Frankfurt
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide
909 jobs available
659 new jobs this week
82 new jobs today
- Head of Customs Germany (f/m)
- Senior C++ Engineer (m/w), herausfordernde Festanstellung!
- Senior Account Manager (m/f) Email Marketing/ SaaS / CRM Solutions
- PR Account Managers - Native level German, English or Russian
- Personalberater (m/w) Recruitment Consultants
- Key Account Manager
- Sachbearbeiter (m/w) Customer Service mit Deutsch, Spanisch und Englisch Kenntnissen
- Betreuung des Segmentes Europa im Total Workforce Management (m/w)
- Consultant (w/m) Controlling & Reporting / Düsseldorf
- Consultant (w/m) Controlling & Reporting / München
- Apr/09 Touring Tempelhof – Europe’s Largest Historical Monument
- Apr/09 Spring in Berlin 2013 – Where, What Why and When!
- Mar/12 Living Like a Local – Tell us what you think and win a weekend in Berlin!
- Feb/04 Escaping the City – Our Recommended Suburban Getaways
- Feb/04 Berlin Tegel Airport Transfers – How to get into the City
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- “Kippi” Like You Wouldn’t Believe – Martin Kippenberger in Berlin
He was considered to be an enfant terrible of the art business, he lived a life of excess and died at an early age. - More Space, More Art – The “New” Lenbachhaus in Munich
Following a long period of restoration work that included an extension, the year 2013 has seen the reopening of the Lenbachhaus in Munich. - By Way of a Detour – Germany at the Biennale in Venice
For decades now it has been considered to be in the best possible taste at the Biennale to call the competition among the nations into question. - “The Monetary Union is Driving the Countries of Europe Apart” – Four Questions for Wolfgang Streeck
The euro is in crisis, a crisis that some say threatens to break up the European Union itself.... - Antigone as a Comic – Detlev Baur on the first theatre magazine for young people
Since 2007 the the youth magazine Junge Bühne has appeared annually.
- Germany's Guerilla Knitters
A tree in a sweater? A statue wearing mittens? A sign post with a scarf? Guerilla knitters are brightening urban spaces in Germany with a new kind of graffiti. - The Best of Germany: Städelschule
At the heart of Frankfurt’s art scene is a school that has attracted many international art students to Germany. The Städelschule has a reputation for a high level of instruction and for nurturing students working at the forefront of conceptual and experimental contemporary art. - US President Obama in Germany
The American President Barack Obama visits Berlin. - Hollywood Stars Filming in Germany
Hollywood stars such as George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Oscar award-winner Geoffrey Rush are making films in and around Potsdam. - Design Festival in Berlin
Creative young designers from around the world showcase their work at the DMY International Design Festival at Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport.
- “Culture drives development”
German cultural manager Ulrich Fuchs is Deputy Managing Director of European Capital of Cultural Marseille. - “Culture creates identity and – what is now needed most – solidarity”
Cristina Conde de Beroldingen, Director of the Instituto Cervantes in Berlin, appeals for a Europe of community and synergies. - “You shouldn’t talk about Europe, you should do it”
Georg M. - “Culture can be the ‘cement’ of a society”
Thibaut de Champris, Director of the Institut français in Mainz, attributes culture with a healing role.
- Design Engineer Aerospace in Toulouse
- Design Feasibility Engineer / Craftsmanship Engineer (m/f)
- Document Controller (m/f)
- Electrical Engineer (m/f)
- Engineer (m/f) / Senior Engineer (m/f) - Civil & Structural
- ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS AT BERTELSMANN
- Exterior Designer (m/f)
- Master Thesis Regression methods for correlated target values
- PDS Designer (m/f) - Civil & Structural
- PhD Student (f/m)
- 09:04 Help me pick a summer party playlist
- 09:00 Hiking tours in the Bavarian pre-Alps
- 09:00 Meet up for indecisive 20-somethings
- 08:58 Cycling tours around Munich
- 08:55 The contents of your favourite sandwich
- 08:53 Mums to be in Bremen
- 08:42 Getting satellite TV in Cologne (Sky, BBC, etc.)
- 08:25 Mums, bumps, and kids weekly meeting in Berlin
- 08:19 The current weather in Munich
- 08:13 Decent wine shops in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Your comments about this article:
I tend to think the Germans like submitting to authority and enjoy official procedures and bureaucratic red tape. I can't think of one person I know here (USA) who even begins to think like that. The president of the police force who is quoted for this article is absolutely correct. Or to put it another way: the German people do not always need authority figures to be present in order to act in a civil manner or to be their daddy if things in life don't go perfectly.
In the old days, it often came down to "he said, she said" arguments and the insurance companies were left to sort it out. Now, with cell phone cameras to document the scene, there's less of that simply because a quick picture will show who was out of their lane, etc. Usually, not always though, witnesses are willing to help should the need arise, and it's just not really a big thing.
On the other hand, an officer can be handy when it's clear that somebody ran a light or made an illegal turn. The problem is that most officers don't want to write those tickets, usually because they can't testify in court to what happened...because they didn't actually see it. Such is life.
Is Germany that different? How many times to these things actually become an "argument'" at the scene? The Germans I've met seem quite capable of sorting things out, even if they disagree about who was at fault. These days I suspect the police have better things to do a fair bit of the time.
wa
Ridiculous nanny culture.
@neilr:
don't get me started... people seem to think that somehow at all cost they must not alter the scene of the accident in any way, so even if it's just a busted taillight, they adamantly refuse to get out of the road, and they're often creating a sizeable traffic jam in the process. But when was the last time those self-important dolts actually saw CSI-style forensics teams home in on a fender bender...