Minister: We count on Rada support for tougher penalties for traffic violations; 'Phantom' patrol cars to return to roads
The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs has decided to impose stricter penalties for traffic safety violations, is stepping up cooperation with members of parliament, and is counting on the support of the Verkhovna Rada, and new traffic violation cameras will be installed on Ukraine's roads as early as this week, according to Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Vyhovsky.
"Combating systematic traffic violations to ensure road safety. Today, we finalized specific proposals at the National Security and Defense Council," the minister said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.
He said he held a meeting attended by deputy ministers, the acting head of the National Police of Ukraine, and leadership from the National Police and the Patrol Police Department.
"First, we need to increase the penalties for systematic violations of the rules. They must be significant and inescapable. Priorities also include the safety of passenger transportation and standardizing the regulation of light electric vehicles," Vyhovsky said.
He said the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, in collaboration with members of the Ukrainian Parliament, has already developed a number of initiatives. "We will intensify our cooperation and count on the support of Parliament," the Minister of Internal Affairs said.
He also said there are measures already being implemented at the Ministry of Internal Affairs level.
"This includes, in particular, strengthening enforcement against speeding. Speed itself is one of the main causes of traffic accidents. This week, we will put dozens of new automatic speed cameras into operation," the minister said.
He said the patrol police will soon announce the locations where the cameras will be installed.
In the context of improving road safety, Vyhovsky mentioned the special patrol vehicles – the "Phantoms" – which were in operation for only a month before the start of full-scale war but demonstrated good results. These vehicles, as the minister noted, do not stand out from others but are equipped with speed violation detection systems that operate, in particular, while the vehicle is in motion.
During the period Phantoms were in operation, according to the minister, police officers held more than 26,000 drivers accountable for speeding.
"The "Phantoms" will return to the roads," Vyhovsky said.
He added that on Monday, a "horrific accident occurred in the center of the capital, which miraculously did not result in any casualties."
In just the first weeks of August, according to the Minister of Internal Affairs, over 1,300 traffic accidents resulting in injuries were recorded in Ukraine.
As reported by the Kyiv police, on August 17, following a collision between two BMWs, one of the vehicles drove onto the summer terrace of an establishment on Velyka Vasylkivska Street in the center of the capital and overturned; the injured driver, who was at fault, will be tested for alcohol intoxication.
Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council regarding the situation on the roads will take place in the near future, and measures will be developed to increase penalties for systematic violations of traffic rules.