ProViDa and special police vehicles

Where there is a lot of driving, there are also many violations of the law. With speed cameras and distance meters alone, you probably won’t even come close to uncovering all crimes: That’s why the police are on the road with many “undercover vehicles” on Germany’s roads.

The so-called “ProViDa vehicles” are particularly well known – also from relevant TV documentaries. As in our example photo below and also on TV, it is very often BMW 5 series vehicles that are difficult to identify as police vehicles from the outside. The most important special features of the vehicles: The traffic situation around the police vehicle can be recorded by means of two cameras (front and rear). It can also be used to record speeding a pursued vehicle, as well as overtaking or other offences.

Civil BMW on the A8 – stopping traffic offenders with neon signs

As here on the A8 near Rosenheim, for example, an administrative offense is recorded, the vehicle concerned is then made aware of the police by neon signs, pulled out of circulation and asked to pay directly.