23/11/2025
The Bielefeld Highway Patrol reports a particularly serious case of odometer tampering on the A2 motorway. Last Wednesday, officers from the traffic division, together with the BALM (Münster branch), stopped a 34-year-old truck driver from Turkey at the "Aurea" truck stop near Rheda-Wiedenbrück.
During the initial inspection, officers noticed irregularities in the driving and rest times. According to police, measurements of the electrical current draw indicated that "the tachograph was no longer in its original condition as intended by the manufacturer." Particularly concerning: The truck's initial registration was less than two weeks prior.
The hidden switch, a manual intervention in the recording
After the tachograph was removed, a specialist workshop in Beckum confirmed the manipulation. During an intensive search of the cab, investigators discovered the actual device:
a hidden toggle switch,
a matching wiring harness,
connected directly to the tachograph/instrument panel.
A subsequent test drive clearly demonstrated the device's functionality: By pressing the switch, the driver could activate "rest time" mode while driving. As a result, the speed recorded by the device dropped to 0 km/h.
This allowed the driver to drive without the control unit registering the movement – a deliberate circumvention of driving and rest time regulations. #