Major Change to Police Speed Cameras: Tickets for Smaller Speeding Violations

Israel Police’s Traffic Division announced today (Sunday) that it is lowering the enforcement threshold for speed cameras installed on roads. It said adjustments have been made to the stationary A-3 speed cameras, and violations will be photographed under new settings determined for each area according to its level of risk. Any documented violation of the speed limit will result in a traffic ticket being issued and sent to the driver’s home. <\/p>

Police said that some cameras will implement stricter enforcement, including photographing violations within a narrower margin above the speed limit, while others will increase the amount drivers can exceed the limit without being fined. <\/p>

For example, on a road identified as especially dangerous where the speed limit is 70 km/h, stricter enforcement will result in a fine beginning at 75 km/h, rather than 85 km/h as was previously the case.<\/p>

Police noted that "over the past year, the carnage on the roads has claimed the lives of hundreds of people. This is in addition to thousands of injured people with varying degrees of injury. These troubling figures require stricter thinking about enforcement and adapting it to road conditions at the same time. As part of all the measures and actions taken so far by the Traffic Division in the fight against road fatalities, an additional step will take effect in the coming days: changing the enforcement thresholds for speed cameras on roads and at intersections."<\/p>

"As part of a professional and comprehensive review of the speed camera system nationwide (A-3), Israel Police’s Traffic Division conducted an individual assessment of each and every camera, analyzing road characteristics, traffic volume, traffic accident data, the number of casualties, and the risk factors in each section." Police declined to disclose which roads are involved.<\/p>

"It is important to emphasize that the goal of enforcement is not handing out tickets, but first and foremost saving lives, preventing the next accident and the next death, creating deterrence, and reducing the number of people killed and injured in traffic accidents. It is known and undisputed that excessive speed, or speed that does not match road conditions, continues to be one of the main causes of fatal accidents and of more severe injuries. Even exceeding the limit by just a few kilometers per hour increases braking distance, reduces reaction time, and significantly raises the risk of a fatal outcome."<\/p>