Statement on support for handheld speed cameras

Statement on support for handheld speed cameras

The National Police plans to return to the use of hand-held radars on the roads. This news was spread by news agencies, such as "Ukrainian News" , citing the Deputy Head of the Road Safety Department of the National Police, Vasyl Bryantsev. The non-governmental organization "Vision Zero" expresses its full support for these plans for the reasons given below:

  1. In Ukraine, since 2015, there has been an incomprehensible and socially harmful situation where there is a complete lack of speed control on roads and streets, and, in our opinion, this is one of the reasons for the worsening situation with accidents and injuries on the roads, despite the successful deployment of the Patrol Police;
  2. The use of mobile (hand-held) radars is a standard modern practice in all US states and all European Union countries, as it has been scientifically proven to have a direct impact on the key risk factor - excessive speeding; there is nothing "Soviet" or "traffic police" about this practice that should be feared (see photo evidence below);
  3. Since the National Police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have not been able to provide the public with any concrete plans for the deployment of the automatic recording of traffic violations system for 8 months (after the creation of the so-called working group), we expect that the process of creating this system in Ukraine will take another 2 to 5 years. That is why hand-held radars must be returned to use as soon as possible in order to save hundreds or thousands of lives. Human lives should not be the price for delay or lack of competence in the National Police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the government.

In view of this, we ask the National Police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs:

  • As soon as possible, implement the announced intentions to return to the use of manual speed control devices, which should be equipped with Patrol Police departments, rapid response groups, and where they are absent, preventive activity units;
  • By the end of September 2016, show the public and organize discussions with interested parties (stakeholders) of plans, concepts, sketches, models, strategies or any other documents developed over the past 8 months regarding the automated traffic violation recording system, including the technical, legal and financial components of this system and the criteria and standards for selecting locations for camera placement.

We call on the conscious part of society and the automotive community, local authorities, adequate public organizations, and the media to actively support any measures to return speed control to the roads and streets of Ukraine, because these measures will save hundreds of lives.

06.09.2016

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06-09-2016