Bulgaria’s traffic police are rolling out 187 upgraded tripod-mounted speed cameras as part of a broader effort to enforce road safety both in urban areas and on highways. These new devices come equipped with advanced software, enabling them to detect a range of violations beyond just speeding.

Chief Inspector Radoslav Buyukliyski, head of the Traffic Police in Kyustendil, explained that although the appearance of the new cameras resembles the old models, the internal technology has been significantly improved. The upgraded system allows the cameras to identify vehicle types - distinguishing between passenger cars and heavy trucks - and to monitor not only speed but also illegal maneuvers, such as improper use of emergency lanes, unauthorized overtaking, and driving in bus lanes.

A key feature of the new system is its ability to monitor all three lanes of a highway at once. The cameras are capable of being positioned to capture both approaching and receding traffic, making them flexible in their deployment. They can simultaneously register vehicles traveling at 70 km/h, 90 km/h, and 120 km/h, and automatically record which vehicle was going at which speed.

In just under an hour during a morning inspection on the Struma Motorway, police recorded 13 speeding violations. One driver was clocked at 168 km/h. A week earlier, the same motorway saw a record violation - 233 km/h - captured during a specialized traffic control operation.

Chief Inspector Buyukliyski emphasized that the purpose of the new cameras is not to collect fines but to instill a culture of safe driving. According to him, the goal is to encourage motorists to follow traffic laws, show mutual respect on the road, and ultimately reduce the number of accidents.

He added that the placement of the new cameras is based on weekly analyses of traffic incident data, allowing the police to target high-risk zones more effectively.