The majority of the population of Ukraine supports the increase in fines for speeding, especially for high levels of speeding. These are the results of a sociological study conducted by the research agency Info Sapiens in the period from June 6 to 15, 2023 , commissioned by the Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law (CEDEM).
According to the results of the study, the vast majority of citizens believe that fines for exceeding the permitted speed should be increased in Ukraine. The greater the speeding, the higher the support for increasing fines.
The question "To what extent do you support an increase in fines for speeding on the roads, if the speeding will amount to..." was answered positively: 10 km/h and more - 54% of respondents, 20 km/h and more - 69%, 30 km/h and more - 79%, 40 km/h and more - 82%, 50 km/h and more - 86%.
Currently, in Ukraine, exceeding the speed limit from 21 to 50 km/h is punishable by a fine of UAH 340, and exceeding 50 km/h by a fine of UAH 1,700. According to an analytical study carried out earlier by CEDEM , in order to get closer to the best practices of EU member states in the field of liability for traffic violations, Ukraine should introduce a gradation of sanctions for every 10 km/h, significantly increase the amount of fines for high levels of speeding, and introduce a system penalty points.
"53.5% [of respondents] support increasing liability in the form of fines for speeding from 10 km/h to 20 km/h. This is a violation for which no fines are currently provided at all. Impunity for speeding exists only in Ukraine and Russia, and this idea is borrowed from Russia. Society clearly says that there should be fines already for exceeding 10 km/h - this is what our coalition of public organizations proposes ," commented Viktor Zagreba , coordinator of the Campaign "For Safe Roads" by CEDEM.
According to the director of the Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law, Olesya Holopik , the results of the study mean that there is a demand in society for more effective control over compliance with traffic rules, in particular, exceeding the set speed limit.
The sociological research was conducted by the CATI method (computer-assisted telephone interviews) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers in the period from June 6 to 15, 2023, in all regions of Ukraine, with the exception of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol , Luhansk region, as well as some temporarily occupied territories where there is no connection. The research sample consisted of 1,000 interviews. The theoretical sampling error does not exceed 3.1% with a probability of 0.95%. The report on the results of the study is available on the website of TsEDEM.
The Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law reminds us that according to the official statistics of the Patrol Police, excessive speed is the main cause of road accidents with fatalities and injuries. In 2022, it became the official cause of most fatal traffic accidents, killing 1,633 people (58% of all registered fatalities) and injuring another 10,075. Therefore, excessive speed on the roads remains the "number one killer" in Ukraine, far ahead of other official causes.
Source: Tsedem press center