In Latvia, Speeding Fines to Soar to €2,000

On Thursday, October 5th, the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) approved amendments to the Road Traffic Law in the first reading. These amendments entail stricter penalties for serious speeding offenses, as reported by Delfi.

According to the new rules, drivers who exceed the speed limit by 61 to 70 kilometers per hour may face fines ranging from 144 to 192 penalty units (equivalent to 722 to 960 euros) and a suspension of their driving privileges for 12 months.

In the case of speeding within urban areas, the fine will range from 208 to 280 penalty units (1040 to 1400 euros), with a possible 24-month suspension of the driver's license.

If a driver exceeds the speed limit by more than 70 kilometers per hour, they will be fined 400 penalty units (2000 euros) and have their driving privileges suspended for 36 months.

Currently, for exceeding the speed limit by more than 60 kilometers per hour, the fine ranges from 72 to 136 penalty units (360 to 680 euros), and the driver may also face a suspension of driving privileges for a period of six to 12 months, depending on the location of the violation.

On roads outside urban areas, 71% of Latvian drivers exceed the speed limit, making Latvia stand out as particularly dangerous in this regard among European countries. The road safety situation in Latvia, including speeding, the use of mobile devices while driving, and the number of fatalities and serious injuries in traffic accidents, is considerably worse than in most EU countries, as stated in the project annotation.

It's worth noting that at the end of June, the Latvian Parliament approved amendments to the Road Traffic Law in its final reading, which include increased fines and new regulations for users of electric scooters and bicycles. These amendments require mandatory registration of electric scooters with the affixing of a state registration sticker to the frame. The registration requirement will come into effect on January 1 of the following year, and existing modes of transport must be registered by March 31, 2024.