Estonian police are looking for ways to improve driving behavior and will once again offer speeders a choice of taking a 45-minute “cooling-off” time or paying a fine, ERR News reports.
Over the past five years, the number of road accidents and deaths has been on the rise. Although there have been fewer accidents this year, experts attribute this to the unpleasant weather conditions that force people to spend more time at home, rather than better driving behavior. Doubling the fines has also failed to deter violators.
The main goal of the “cooling-off” initiative is to draw attention to speeding. Such a measure has been implemented several times since 2019.
Taavi Kirss, head of the traffic department of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), said: “If a driver exceeds the speed limit by up to 20 kilometers per hour, the officer may offer them the option of a cooling-off stop instead of a fine. And the driver has the choice to accept this measure or decline it.”
“Cooling-off” breaks have been used before, but then they were temporarily discontinued. Kirss explained that the method was first used in 2019, then there was a break. Last year, at the beginning of the school year, it was returned, and this summer, the police also offered to rest instead of paying a fine. The policeman noted that
it is still too early to judge the effectiveness of the method.
Currently, “cooling-off” are not yet used on a large scale, as this requires additional patrols. However, on the 18th of July, a larger campaign was carried out on the Tartu–Võru road, and eight speeders chose to wait 45 minutes and calm down. One of the stopped drivers, however, chose to pay the fine and continue on his way immediately.
During the WRC Rally Estonia last week, “cooling-off” was also offered as an option to speed lovers in southern Estonia. Kirss informed that the method will continue to be used from time to time throughout the country.
Kirss urged to keep in mind that when warmer weather finally arrives, traffic will become more lively again, and drivers should be very careful.
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