Estonia, Legislation, Transport

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Data protection rules may prevent recording speeds in-between cameras in Estonia

BC, Tallinn, 19.07.2017.Print version
Detection and potential ticketing of speeding drivers based on the time it takes their vehicle to pass between two speed cameras may run counter to the rules of data protection, the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate has said, cites LETA/BNS.

"At first sight it seems that it is not possible to calculate the average speed without processing data on all vehicles passing the road section under question. This means that identification would concern not only speeding vehicles but also the movements of law abiding motorists would be observed," Maire Iro, spokesperson for the Data Protection Inspectorate, told BNS on Wednesday.

 

"And a potential risk lies in this, as it could become possible to profile drivers based on their traffic behavior, location information may become known with precise times and direction of movement, travel routes and similar. In that case this may be not a proportional measure for the detection of violations. The Traffic Act at present does not allow to take into use a solution like this either," Iro said.

 

Spokespeople for the Road Administration told BNS that although their agency has given thought to fining motorists for speeding using a point-to-point camera system, no concrete proposals have been made to date.

 

Also the spokesperson for the Data Protection Inspectorate said the Road Administration has not approached them with the idea.

 

"Fining motorists based on data about their average speed on a specific road section would definitely be a positive development from the point of view of road safety. At the same time, also the rights of citizens, first and foremost the principles of processing personal data, must be proportionally taken into account," Krisela Uussaar, manager for traffic organization devices at the Estonian Road Administration, told BNS last week.

 

"I addition to the Personal Data Protection Act also the Traffic Act and several other related laws would have to be changed for that," Uussar said. "The Road Administration has not initiated amendments to the said legislative acts yet. A prior in-depth analysis of the subject is required with regard to the rights of citizens, the technical possibilities, and keeping in mind the sectoral objectives and activities of different authorities," Uussaar said.

 

She added that the Road Administration cannot estimate at this point when the relevant changes in legislation could take effect.

 

The Road Administration has installed 63 speed camera booths on Estonian roads and is entitled to use two speed camera booths at the Kristiine intersection of Tallinn. Altogether 47 speed measuring systems can be operated in the booths.






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