Latvia calls for re-introduction of speed cameras

Latvia’s road traffic Safety directorate (CSDD) has called for the reintroduction of stationary and mobile speed cameras and higher penalties for exceeding the speed limit. CSDD representative Janis Golubev emphasised that the two main causes of death are violation of speed limits and the carelessness of pedestrians who do not use light-reflecting accessories. ‘Most of the road accidents are linked to speed limit violations,’ he said. He admits that ever since speed cameras disappeared from Latvia’s roa
November 18, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Latvia’s road traffic Safety directorate (CSDD) has called for the reintroduction of stationary and mobile speed cameras and higher penalties for exceeding the speed limit.

CSDD representative Janis Golubev emphasised that the two main causes of death are violation of speed limits and the carelessness of pedestrians who do not use light-reflecting accessories. ‘Most of the road accidents are linked to speed limit violations,’ he said.  He admits that ever since speed cameras disappeared from Latvia’s roads, drivers tend to exceed speed limits rather often. While the average speed on Latvia’s roads was 89-90 km/h in 2012, current data suggests it is now 93 km/h. Average speed on some highways is as high as 106 km/h. “It gradually grows. It is absolutely clear that we need to re-introduce speed cameras,” said Golubev.

According to Golubev, 19 people have already been killed on Latvia’s roads during November, costing the country nearly US$13.4 million. He said this amount is enough to re-introduce speed cameras.
Enforcement

Related Content

  • Drugs and driving: new international study
    January 25, 2012
    The incidence of drugs among drivers injured or killed in road accidents is in the range of 14-17 per cent, according to a new report published by the International Transport Forum, a transport think tank at the OECD. Cannabis and benzodiazepines top the list of drugs involved in lethal motor accidents, according to the study.
    Read More
  • Jenoptik wins large traffic monitoring order in Saudi Arabia
    May 16, 2012
    Jenoptik's traffic solutions division has received a major order for systems and equipment for traffic monitoring from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The customer is Dallah Trans Arabia, located in Jeddah, and the scope of supply includes several hundred stationary systems for monitoring red light and speed violations. About 100 systems for mobile and stationary speed monitoring as well as a comprehensive software solution of Jenoptik have already been in use in Saudi Arabia since last year. The total equipme
    Read More
  • US speed limit increases ‘cause 33,000 deaths in 20 years’
    April 14, 2016
    A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study, which looked at the impact of speed limit increases in 41 states over a 20-year period starting in 1993, shows that increases in speed limits over two decades have cost 33,000 lives in the US In 2013 alone. The increases resulted in 1,900 additional deaths, essentially cancelling out the number of lives saved by frontal airbags that year. "Although fatality rates fell during the study period, they would have been much lower if not for states' dec
    Read More
  • Autonomous driving – what can we really expect?
    June 6, 2016
    Dave Marples of Technolution BV looks beyond the hype to the practical implementation of autonomous vehicles. Having looked at the development of this sector for some time, I am concerned about the current state of autonomous driving development as engineering (and marketing) have run way ahead of the wider systemic, and legislative, requirements to support an autonomous future.
    Read More

Highlighted Content