Five police patrols checking speeds on Tallinn-Tartu Highway Thursday
No fewer than five police patrols are to monitor speeds on the Tallinn-Tartu highway (E263) on Thursday, and again on Friday, it has been announced.
The speed checking is to be conducted for a 12-hour stretch and is aimed at traffic calming, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said.
''We selected the Tallinn-Tartu highway since it is a high-volume traffic section of road, and in the preceding seven months of this year there have been ten more major accidents than at this time last year,'' said PPA Chief Administrative Officer Sirle Loigo.
''There have been three fatalities on the stretch of highway this year, two in Harju County and one in Jõgeva County,'' she added.
The Thursday patrols are to run from 07.00 to 19.00 EEST, and on Friday from 10.00 to 22.00 EEST.
The five patrols are reportedly to be situated at 35 km intervals, starting at the 7 km mark if travelling from Tallinn in the direction of Tartu, with the last stretch running from the 147 km to 182 km marks, and thus cover the entire distance between the two cities.
The intention is also to publish the findings of the speed measures across the three police prefectures which the route travels through.
''Most drivers stay within a range of +/- 10 km of the legal speed limit both in the towns and on the highway,'' Loigo went on.
''However driving above this range greatly increases the likelihood of a fatal accident and so the goal is to interrupt every increment in speed increase in stages along the route,'' she added.
Editor: Andrew Whyte