Estonian police oppose mandatory warning signs before mobile speed cameras

The Police and Border Guard Board has rejected a Riigikogu initiative requiring warning signs hundreds of metres before mobile speed cameras. However, the department is considering raising the speed detection threshold from 3 to 6 km/h above the limit.

Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board has come out against a proposal by three Riigikogu members that would require warning signs to be placed several hundred metres before mobile speed camera locations. The initiative, backed by MP [Madis Randpere](/politicians/madis-randpere) among others, sought to give drivers advance notice of camera positions across the country.

Randpere himself acknowledged a key counterargument, stating that a single town entry sign cannot serve as an alternative to dedicated warning signs placed near mobile cameras. Supporters of the initiative argued that giving drivers a heads-up encourages voluntary compliance with speed limits rather than simply catching offenders.

Despite rejecting the warning sign requirement, the Police and Border Guard Board indicated it is reviewing the current technical threshold at which mobile cameras register a speeding violation. Under current rules, a camera triggers when a vehicle exceeds the posted limit by 3 km/h. Officials are now weighing whether to raise that tolerance to 6 km/h, which would align enforcement more closely with the margin of error found in vehicle speedometers.

Road safety advocates and police have long debated the balance between punitive and preventive approaches to speed enforcement in Estonia. Critics of mandatory warning signs argue they undermine the deterrent effect of mobile cameras, while proponents say informed drivers are safer drivers. The police position suggests the focus remains on catching genuine offenders rather than alerting motorists in advance.