The new system for detecting and fining drivers for exceeding the average speed through toll cameras started at midnight and reported startling results in its first hours of operation. Nearly 600 violators were detected in just 7 hours, with some of them driving at extremely high speeds, Commissioner Maria Boteva, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department at the Bulgarian National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced on the air of "Wake Up" on Nova TV.
The practical implementation of the sectional control of the average speed began tonight, with the data from the first seven hours of operation of the system being more than worrying. According to Commissioner Maria Boteva, a total of 582 violations were detected during this short period. Of these, 518 were committed by passenger cars, and 64 - by trucks over 12 tons. The registered speeds are extremely high. For passenger cars, speeds of 222 km/h, 200 km/h and 187 km/h were detected on motorways, as well as 179 km/h on the Northern Speedway. For trucks over 12 tons, the record holder drove at 162 km/h on the motorway. Commissioner Boteva specified that the system works on 11 out of a total of 12 pre-selected sections, each approximately 10 kilometers long. The twelfth section will be activated after the holidays. Violators will receive electronic tickets, with notifications sent by phone, email or Viber within up to 10 days after the violation.
The fines for the record holders will be hefty. For a driver who drove at 222 km/h on a highway (with a speed limit of 140 km/h), the penalty can reach 900-1000 leva, and in addition, the deprivation of driving rights is also envisaged.
Although the law does not require the installation of special warning signs for these sections, Commissioner Boteva emphasized that a list of all controlled sections is publicly available on the website of the National Toll Administration.