Latvia will have more and more average speed cameras

The new radar on the Koknese–Tīnūži highway will monitor not only average speed over a 20-kilometre stretch but also insurance and vehicle inspections.

Drivers encountered in Koknese, however, pointed out that speed cameras should also be placed on regional roads, not just highways. 

Vadims: "This is a straight stretch. Is it necessary? And there aren’t that many roads that lead here."

Ainārs: "(Do we need those speed cameras?) Yes... That’s better. (Have you ever gotten a ticket yourself?) No, I’m 46 years old."

Juris: "A business project.  [..] But that doesn’t create safety. Why aren’t there any on small highways? There aren’t any there! People drive there too!"

Armands: "I liked it when there were more police on the roads. Not now, when you have to guess whether you’ll get a surprise letter or not."

However, the State Police (VP) experience shows that these "surprise letters" or notifications of radar-detected violations and subsequent fines are decreasing significantly each year. Two years ago, a total of 55,000 violations were recorded, including 29,000 specifically for speeding, but quite a few were driving without compulsory civil insurance (OCTA) or a technical inspection. Last year there were 10,000 fewer violations.

"If we compare these statistics, there are already 10,000 fewer. And in 2024, there were 9,500 cases of driving without OCTA, and in 2025 – 6,500. More than 3,000 fewer! This is definitely thanks to the full-flow control that this equipment provides," said Juris Jančevskis, Head of the Response Department at the State Police.

The company "Latvian State Roads" (LVC) said that these radars also significantly reduce the number of accidents.

"Given that a physical police presence isn’t feasible on such a large scale, we have to acknowledge that we lack the resources, technical solutions come to the rescue. And this is a way to improve safety. Statistics show that the number of accidents decreases by 40%, and the number of injuries decreases," said LVC representative Anna Kononova.

There will be more radars. The Road Traffic Safety Council has allocated funds for the next phases, and then such devices will be deployed on minor roads, said Kononova.