Last fall, the Estonian Transport Administration tested a solution where the speed of vehicles was measured at the start and finish of a section of road to calculate their average speed based on the time it took to go from one to the other.

"It served two purposes. First, to check whether excessive average speeds are a problem on Estonian roads. Second, whether people would listen if we told them that we're measuring average speeds and ask them to obey the law," said Priit Sauk, the agency's director.

Of the around 120,000 drivers checked, 40 percent exceeded the limit in terms of their average speed, while the margins were thin for most people. Roughly 6,000 drivers or 5 percent of those checked exceeded the average speed limit by at least 7 kilometers per hour. While average speed cameras could be a good solution for Estonia, there are a few problems.

"The speed cameras we have today and used for the test aren't up to the task neither technically nor in term of how the system is set up. The other major obstacle is the legislative side, which means that average speeds will not be measured in Estonia in the next two or three years," said Sander Salmu, undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate.

"The main issue is personal data protection. While the system we have today only snaps a picture of those who exceed the speed limit, the new system would need to photograph all vehicles, which constitutes a serious personal data infringement. It needs to be solved first," Salmu said.

The head of the Transport Administration admitted that a system of measuring average speeds might cause long convoys of vehicles to form on stretches of road where such cameras are working, only for drivers to start attempting risky overtaking maneuvers once on the other side.

"Of course, if there are just one or two such stretches on the Tallinn-Tartu highway, that risk may be slightly bigger. But it can be contained by covering a larger area [with average speeds traps]," Sauk said.

Alvar Tõruke, executive manager of logistics firm DSC, said that elsewhere average speeds are usually measured on roads that have no on or off ramps. Mainly on sections with two lanes in both directions of travel in an attempt to calm traffic flow before major cities.

"We all want traffic to be a little calmer from time to time. On the other hand, as a private individual, you see it as yet another link in the surveillance chain," Tõruke said.

He added that it is important to avoid overregulation and that a sensible buffer should be retained when measuring average speeds.

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