A person who covers a distance of 25,000 kilometers has circumnavigated the earth almost three quarters of the way around. Marco Bunge and three of his colleagues ride this distance in the Paderborn district every year. The police chief inspector is part of the ProViDa motorcycle group of the Paderborn district police department's traffic service, which is committed to the safety of road users, especially on roads outside built-up areas.
The term ProViDa stands for Proof Video Data System, a mobile video surveillance system that is tailored to the police's motorcycles. "Our task is to record speed and distance violations by car and motorcycle drivers on the road in a way that can be used in court. However, the technology is so good that we can also detect if someone is distracted by a cell phone while driving or if people in the car are not wearing their seat belts. We always stop vehicles when the penalty is in the points range," says Bunge.
In the period from January 2020 to August 2021 alone, over 280 speeding violations were detected, resulting in 53 driving bans. In addition, 57 drivers were stopped for incorrectly overtaking, 27 people were distracted from the road by a cell phone and eight drivers were caught tailgating. The focus of the ProViDa drivers is clearly on the many roads outside built-up areas in the Paderborn district where people drive faster.
The equipped motorcycles cover a corresponding number of kilometers per shift. The previous machine, a BMW R 1200 rt with 110 hp, already has 217,000 kilometers under its belt. The second bike currently on the road in the Paderborn district is a BMW R 1250 GS with 136 hp. It has two blue lights at the front and a signal field at the rear on which "Please follow" can be displayed. "We are currently testing the second bike because it could replace the previous model in the future. So far, it's making a good impression in terms of seating comfort and it's faster," says the 49-year-old, who has been riding a ProViDa bike since 2006 and obtained his motorcycle license as an 18-year-old as part of his training to become a police officer.
In 2006, it was not possible for Bunge to simply get on the converted motorcycle and ride off, despite his previous experience. "You have to know the bike really well to be prepared for all eventualities. After all, it is packed with technology and therefore rides differently," says Bunge. Accordingly, every rider went through a two-week training course beforehand, in which braking on split and emergency braking at 100 km/h were practiced, as well as evasive maneuvers and pursuits.
Bunge has never lost the fun of riding a motorcycle: "I also enjoy riding my motorcycle in my private life. I can combine my job and hobby well. That fits."
Image information
Test phase: Chief Superintendent Marco Bunge stands behind the BMW R 1250 GS, which has been converted into a ProViDa motorcycle. He uses the bike particularly on roads outside built-up areas in the Paderborn district. It could replace the current model in the long term Photo: Paderborn police