The changed provisions proposed by the Interior Ministry are more stringent than in previous drafts prepared by parliamentary committees, now with steeper hiking of fines, which rise according to the speed in excess of the limit.
While the first tier of speeding (at up to 10 kilometers over the limit) even raises slightly the accustomed level of leniency, with only a warnings for passenger cars in rural or inhabited areas or up to a €10 fine for trucks provided.
The second speeding tier between 11 to 20 km/hr can now bring a €20 fine in rural roads and €40 in inhabited traffic areas, while truck drivers face double the fines.
If caught speeding from 21 to 30 km/hr, car and truck drivers transgressing in this third tier will be looking at a doubling again from the previous tier (€40/€80 cars; €80/€160 trucks).
Finally, at the excessive speeding tiers between 31 and 40 km/hr the fines for cars will be €80 in rural areas, €160 in inhabited zones; €160 and €320 for truck drivers in rural and populated areas, respectively.
If speeding even faster, the fines have accordingly been raised to match the reckless disregard for road safety. Auto drivers will be facing from €240-320 for speeding beyond 51 km/hr and will likely be looking at having their drivers’ license suspended for three months.
Any faster than that and the fines rise to between €360-480, with the possibility of a six-month suspension from the license to drive. Truckers face even heavier costs – up to between €1040-1400 and a year’s suspension of license.
Latvia is among the deadliest of EU member states in the statistics for road safety.
