At the start of the year, the fine unit rate doubled, rising from €4 to €8. So far this year, around 11,000 misdemeanors have been recorded against speeding drivers. Speed cameras have detected more than 75,000 violations.

According to Annika Elmi, group leader at the Jõhvi Police Station, the number of offenses identified by speed cameras has seen a slight decline when comparing this year to last. However, the number of speeders caught through routine traffic patrols has increased.

"The monetary fines did go up — where the fine unit used to be €4, it's been €8 since January 1. But the time since then has been too short to draw definitive conclusions. Certainly, some people are aware of the increase and take it into account, but many don't even think about it," Elmi said.

Elmi added that a responsible driver shouldn't need to be concerned about the fine unit rate in the first place.

"Law-abiding behavior in traffic really comes down to a driver's internal willingness to be a responsible road user or not. Financial penalties only influence a very small group — those who can't be steered in the right direction any other way."

Elmi also emphasized that fines are not the only tool for addressing speeders. Police officers also try to encourage compliance through conversation. In fact, the number of people stopped for speeding is actually higher than official figures suggest, as not every case results in a fine.

"For those who aren't swayed by a conversation — or who have a history of violations and haven't changed their behavior — they'll likely face formal penalties. But I believe an officer's strongest tool is still their word," Elmi said.

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