GPS with Gatso positions now illegal in D + CH!!!
Discussion
Chaps and chapesses, just to inform you about recent law changes in Germany and Switzerland which may well affect you if you're travelling here....
In Germany it is illegal to USE a GPS with gatso and scamerati positions in it... NOT illegal to own it however. Penalty: charges under perverting the course of justice can be very hefty including prison. The vendors of such units in Germany are walking a tightrope ATM as they do not inform public about the illegality of use.... (Position programmes downloadable partly for free)
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
So if you're thinking of using these over here just BEWARE!!! better just to cancel that programme until you return to GB....
In Germany it is illegal to USE a GPS with gatso and scamerati positions in it... NOT illegal to own it however. Penalty: charges under perverting the course of justice can be very hefty including prison. The vendors of such units in Germany are walking a tightrope ATM as they do not inform public about the illegality of use.... (Position programmes downloadable partly for free)
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
So if you're thinking of using these over here just BEWARE!!! better just to cancel that programme until you return to GB....
JMGS4 said:
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
They'd better start arresting pilots then, and anyone else with pretty much any kind of GPS receiver if that is the case, as most can store waypoints or positions of interest.
s2art said:
doesnt that outlaw just about all sat-nav systems? Almost all have POI capability.
The manufacturers will just amend the software for the affected countries.
Its a bizarre piece of legislation as you might just as easily use the facility to be reminded about petrol stations selling super-unleaded. My guess is that it will be unenforceable anyway. They'd have to do spot checks a LOT. Maybe they'll target Brits, of course, which would likely net a few "collars". There again - I wouldn't want to be their tourist agency if that got out.
Don said:
s2art said:
doesnt that outlaw just about all sat-nav systems? Almost all have POI capability.
The manufacturers will just amend the software for the affected countries.
Its a bizarre piece of legislation as you might just as easily use the facility to be reminded about petrol stations selling super-unleaded. My guess is that it will be unenforceable anyway. They'd have to do spot checks a LOT. Maybe they'll target Brits, of course, which would likely net a few "collars". There again - I wouldn't want to be their tourist agency if that got out.
Well exactly, my OEM system does not have the ability to upload camera locations, but has databases of rest places, hotels, petrol stations, airports, marinas, bla di bla.
In addition to that there is the possibility to program in, albeit on a one by one basis, individual places, eg addresses, even a simple point on a map.
They can get stuffed, I'm continuing to use my system, they'll have a very public and legal fight on their hands.
JMGS4 said:
In Germany it is illegal to USE a GPS with gatso and scamerati positions in it... NOT illegal to own it however. Penalty: charges under perverting the course of justice can be very hefty including prison. .
so they would rather us be caught doing somthing wrong (no prison, just given the lethal injestion as in N.Wales), then for us to notice them adapt our speed and abide the law?
hmmmm.....
tank slapper said:
JMGS4 said:
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
They'd better start arresting pilots then, and anyone else with pretty much any kind of GPS receiver if that is the case, as most can store waypoints or positions of interest.
Read what I said!!
Capability of showing gatso positions in CH!!!! Nothing about capability of showing gatsos in GB..... What the law means is if you've a GPS system and you have downloaded SWISS positions you'll get ferked....
JMGS4 said:
tank slapper said:
JMGS4 said:
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
They'd better start arresting pilots then, and anyone else with pretty much any kind of GPS receiver if that is the case, as most can store waypoints or positions of interest.
Read what I said!!
Capability of showing gatso positions in CH!!!! Nothing about capability of showing gatsos in GB..... What the law means is if you've a GPS system and you have downloaded SWISS positions you'll get ferked....
Well fine - re-label the POIs to show up as "Nice View" POIs instead of "Camera" POIs. Bollocks to them.
J.
Edited by jezzaaa on Tuesday 22 May 13:29
jezzaaa said:
JMGS4 said:
tank slapper said:
JMGS4 said:
In Switzerland it is illegal to OWN or HAVE IN YOUR POSESSION or USE a GPS unit WITH THE CAPABILITY of showing positions of gatsos or scamerati (in CH)......Penalty: up to 4 years gaol and a years income as a fine!!!!
They'd better start arresting pilots then, and anyone else with pretty much any kind of GPS receiver if that is the case, as most can store waypoints or positions of interest.
Read what I said!!
Capability of showing gatso positions in CH!!!! Nothing about capability of showing gatsos in GB..... What the law means is if you've a GPS system and you have downloaded SWISS positions you'll get ferked....
Well fine - re-label the POIs to show up as "Nice View" POIs instead of "Camera" POIs. Bollocks to them.
Now that OP has qualified what he meant by "with the capability of...." it puts a different picture on things.
However will it still not mean a lot of drivers with gps units being stopped etc?
When I last read about the details in German, you can have a GPS system with POI capability but NOT any camera POI in Switzerland, so GB positions for example would be fine. But it seems the Swiss police and government have been tinkering all the time, so who knows what the real deal is ...
JMGS4 said:
Read what I said!! Capability of showing gatso positions in CH!!!! Nothing about capability of showing gatsos in GB.....
What the law means is if you've a GPS system and you have downloaded SWISS positions you'll get ferked....
I did, though what you've said above is a slightly different thing. Either any device capable of storing them is illegal, or a device that has actually been programmed with them is illegal. I have a GPS receiver that can be programmed with any waypoint I choose, so is that illegal in Switzerland - or only if I happen to store camera locations in it? Capability of showing gatso positions in CH!!!! Nothing about capability of showing gatsos in GB.....What the law means is if you've a GPS system and you have downloaded SWISS positions you'll get ferked....
The first situation is rather silly as it would make most GPS receivers illegal, regardless of whether they are designed for use as camera warnings or not.
JMGS4 said:
In Germany it is illegal to USE a GPS with gatso and scamerati positions in it... NOT illegal to own it however...
Interestring one, that...UK has not outlawed them. Why? Because, if outlawed, it would cause legal problems for them when they start to track us with the Galileo satellites.
Galileo is an EU project...
Hasn't anyone told Germany..?
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff