Three «Phantom» patrol cars automatically recorded 7,012 speeding offences during their first six days of operation in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The crews also stopped 55 drivers for dangerous offences, including driving through a red light, driving into the oncoming lane and crossing a double solid line.
Briefly about the main points
- «The »Phantoms’ returned to the roads of the capital and the region on 31 August.
- The average frequency of fixation was approximately one fixation every 74 seconds.
- Inspectors draw up reports on the spot for dangerous manoeuvres.
- The system tracks up to 50 vehicles simultaneously in both directions.
- The Ministry of the Interior is considering expanding its fleet and the geographical coverage of its mobile units.
Initial results following the return to the roads
The mobile testing centres resumed operations on 31 August. Among those identified cases speeds were 50 km/h or more above the speed limit.
The rate of automatic detection during the initial period stood at around 1,169 cases per day, or nearly 49 per hour. This equates to roughly one violation every 74 seconds.
Drivers were pulled over on the spot for dangerous manoeuvres
Automatic speed enforcement does not replace the direct work of patrol officers. Inspectors responded to offences that the system cannot always detect and drew up reports after stopping the vehicle.
The reasons for the stops included driving through a red light, crossing a double solid line, driving into the oncoming lane and causing a hazardous situation.
How the mobile unit records offences
The systems are fitted to Skoda Kodiaq vehicles, which look almost identical to ordinary cars when driving in traffic. The equipment measures speed, recognises number plates and transmits metadata to the automatic enforcement system.
One «Phantom» can track up to 50 vehicles at the same time. It operates both whilst the vehicle is in motion and when stationary, detecting vehicles travelling in both the same and opposite directions.
The system generates case files for incidents showing signs of an offence, and an authorised police officer issues a decision following an internal investigation. Almost all speeding offences will be dealt with without the vehicle being stopped.
The Ministry of the Interior is preparing to expand the operations of the «Phantoms»
Minister of the Interior Ivan Vygovsky He described the reintroduction of mobile speed cameras as a measure to reduce speeding offences and serious road accidents. The ministry states that the aim is prevention: drivers do not know exactly where a speed camera might be located nearby.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is considering increasing the number of «Phantoms» and deploying the systems in other regions. Vyhovskyi also stated that there is a need to impose stricter penalties for systematic breaches of the Highway Code.
