Nicosia, Cyprus. Police have reiterated their opposition to navigation applications that alert motorists to the locations of speed cameras and police checkpoints, saying such features undermine road safety. Officials said they have not received formal notification of any European move to restrict the services.
European reports
The comments were made on Wednesday after reports of a European Court of Justice ruling allowing member states to impose targeted restrictions on certain navigation app features.
Speaking on Sigma, deputy traffic department chief Tasos Asikis said police had learned of the issue through media reports and had received no official communication on the content of any European decision or directive.
“We have not been officially informed about the existence of this decision and, therefore, we do not know its content,” Asikis said.
He said police would seek to study the matter to obtain a clear picture and assess whether any measures were needed.
Road safety concerns
Asikis said applications that identify the locations of speed enforcement cameras and police checkpoints weaken traffic enforcement because drivers may reduce speed only at known locations.
“When drivers know the checkpoints in advance, they reduce their speed only at those specific locations and not throughout their journey,” he said.
He said effective traffic policing depends on drivers being unable to predict where checks will take place, citing international practices that use mobile and less visible enforcement measures.
Mobile enforcement
Asikis referred to the Australian state of Victoria, where authorities increased the use of mobile speed cameras, and to European Commission guidance indicating that speed enforcement is more effective when checks are difficult to anticipate.
“The uncertainty created among drivers about where a check may be carried out contributes to them maintaining a consistently safe speed throughout their journey and not just at the points where they know there are cameras or checks,” he said.
