Police fight against illegal tuning: Arrests in Burgau and Günzburg!

Police fight against illegal tuning: Arrests in Burgau and Günzburg!

Last Sunday evening, the Poser/Tuner control group from the Swabia South/West Police Headquarters was in action in Burgau and Günzburg. Officers conducted increased traffic stops and encountered unpleasant violations that would astonish even the most sophisticated car enthusiast. Unauthorized technical changes were discovered in five vehicles, which led to the immediate revocation of the operating license. Those affected, who are between 20 and 43 years old, now have to expect heavy fines and their vehicles have not been driven further on site.

The defects identified included manipulated exhaust systems that made the vehicles significantly louder than permitted, as well as coilovers that were installed too low and worn tires. The latter are not only a dangerous matter, but also have a huge impact on road safety. The police seized two particularly problematic vehicles for inspection by experts.

Additional controls in the Unterallgäu district

But that wasn't the only time the control group became active in the last few days. On Whit Monday, June 9th, eight other vehicle drivers who were also in the tuning scene were checked in the Unterallgäu district. Here manipulation of the engine software, impermissible modifications to the chassis and non-compliant lighting equipment were discovered, all of which led to the revocation of the operating license. During these checks, care was also taken to ensure that the drivers were not allowed to continue driving, and a vehicle was confiscated from an expert so that a report could be drawn up.

The drivers, who were between the ages of 26 and 37, were anything but inconspicuous due to their unusual behavior, such as accelerating and braking sharply to produce thrust bangs. You also face high fines due to the violations found.

No gray area when tuning

Tuning is a widespread hobby in Germany, especially among younger car enthusiasts. It is often forgotten that there are clear guidelines about what is allowed and what is not. According to the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO), many of the modifications mentioned above, especially loud exhaust systems or modified brakes, are not permitted. In addition, safety-relevant changes must always be checked by the TÜV and entered into the vehicle documents in order to be insured if the worst comes to the worst. Failure to comply with these regulations can not only result in fines and points on the driving record, but also risk having your beloved car immobilized.

The range of fines cannot be underestimated. The minimalist penalties start at 10 euros for missing documents and go up to 120 euros for non-compliant vehicles. There is even a risk of criminal proceedings for illegal street racing or excessive noise, while serious defects can lead to the vehicle being decommissioned.

A call to all tuning fans: Find out about the legal limits of your passion to avoid unpleasant surprises!

For further information on the legal basis of tuning and the catalog of fines, please take a look at the articles from Augsburger Allgemeine, New Facts and Fines Siegen to.