Presenting the traffic safety program, which was sent out for interagency coordination on Wednesday, the Transport Administration said the focus remains on reducing traffic fatalities, as in previous plans. While earlier programs failed to meet their targets and several proposed measures were dropped, Transport Administration Director Priit Sauk said he remains optimistic.

The program also comes with a detailed four-year implementation plan, laid out in a table of various activities and projects. Some include confirmed funding, while others do not.

In total, the measures with funding estimates carry a cost of €133.6 million over four years, of which €88.3 million is still lacking.

Most of the funding gap relates to road improvement projects not included in the table's calculations, such as the €210 million earmarked for the Tartu–Tallinn highway over the next three years.

Speed

Speed remains one of the Transport Administration's biggest concerns. Under the new traffic safety plan, the agency would like to see general speed limits in Estonia reduced: 110 kilometers per hour on highways, 100 kilometers per hour on divided roads, 80 kilometers per hour on undivided roads, 50 kilometers per hour near settlements and 40 kilometers per hour in towns and cities. For light-traffic roads, the limit would be lowered to 20 kilometers per hour.

According to Sauk, these are proposals aimed at reducing traffic fatalities rather than concrete plans. "No decision has been made yet. The Traffic Act has not been amended," Sauk said.

He added that speed restrictions should come through community or road owner agreements. "Should some streets in Tallinn, for example, have lower limits? The risks need to be assessed, and in dangerous spots, speeds should be limited with proper signage," he said.

"But this is not a blanket measure. I hope it's clear that the Transport Administration maintains that speed must always match road and weather conditions. We will continue allowing 120 kilometers per hour on 2+2 roads when conditions are dry and clear. But if it rains or roads are icy or snowy, then speed reductions to 70 kilometers per hour with variable signs are often justified," Sauk said.

Still, the Transport Administration does plan to introduce more restrictions on state roads under its control, which total 17,000 kilometers.

On state roads passing through towns, the plan is to lower speed limits on 100 kilometers each year — 400 kilometers in total over the next four years.

Sauk said specific locations have not yet been decided and changes will be made in cooperation with local governments.

He pointed to Loksa as an example. "The city council there decided that speeds within the town should be 40 kilometers per hour. Since state roads pass through the area, it didn't make sense to allow 50 kilometers per hour on those while the rest of the town is at 40," he said.

Beyond towns, the implementation plan also foresees lowering speed limits on secondary state roads. Each year, 2,500 kilometers of such roads will see reduced limits, adding up to 10,000 kilometers over four years.

Sauk emphasized that a general reduction, such as the agency's preferred 80 kilometers per hour on all secondary roads, will not happen for now. "From a safety perspective, we would like the entire secondary road network to have a lower uniform speed limit, but there's no such agreement today — neither in society nor in politics. And we won't be pushing for it in the coming years. Still, as the road owner, we do have the authority to set restrictions in specific places based on needs and safety assessments," he said.

"This isn't only our wish. It's also strongly requested by local residents. In suburban areas, where towns have expanded around cities and the roads are state-owned or secondary roads, we receive hundreds and hundreds of letters asking us to lower the speed limits," Sauk noted.

Cameras

The Transport Administration also plans to add more fixed speed cameras.

First, over the next four years, 35 outdated stationary cameras will be replaced. In addition, 30 new cameras will be installed.

Sauk did not specify the new locations. "Sites will be chosen according to need and feasibility," he said, noting that funding will also play a role. In fact, the previous traffic safety program included replacing aging cameras, but when no money was allocated during budget talks, the plan was dropped.

The new implementation plan also includes introducing average-speed cameras. According to the schedule, by 2028 — one year after the next Riigikogu elections — 14 road sections in Estonia could be equipped with them.

Sauk said the exact sites are not yet known. "A few years ago, we ran pilot projects to see if average-speed cameras improve driver behavior. We found that they do," he said.

"But society is not ready for them yet, and there's no legal framework. Current legislation does not allow their use. The plan sets aside a few years for debate and the necessary law changes," Sauk explained.

He acknowledged that while some in society and politics remain skeptical about average-speed cameras, there are also strong supporters. "If we gain political and public support, it would likely make sense to introduce them in Estonia if we want to move toward zero traffic deaths," Sauk said.

As a counterbalance to automated speed enforcement, the Transport Administration also wants to increase police traffic patrols and expand drunk-driving checks.

Penalty points

Under the Transport Administration's plan, a modified penalty point system could be in place by 2029. The roadmap calls for drafting a "systemic offender management system" and preparing legislation next year, with Riigikogu approval in 2027 and the necessary IT system built by 2028.

Sauk said the planned system differs somewhat from earlier ideas. "The original approach was to collect all drivers' violations into a database, assign penalty points and deal with those who scored the highest. Today, the expectation is that we focus on the riskiest group of drivers — those who are systemic offenders," he noted.

Together with the Police and Border Guard Board, the administration estimates this group could number between 2,000 and 3,000 drivers annually. These would be individuals with four recorded violations.

"The current goal is to target repeat and systematic offenders, not to assign points to everyone. We want to deal with those who are the most persistent and reckless — either by being stricter in removing them from traffic more quickly or by offering rehabilitation options," Sauk said.

Implementation

Sauk said the current plan already has political backing and he hopes lawmakers will maintain that support going forward. "I hope this traffic safety program will become a cross-party or societal agreement," he said.

At the same time, carrying it out will require tens, if not hundreds of millions of euros in additional funding. If money is not found in the budget process, the measures cannot be implemented — regardless of whether the program is formally approved. Much of the previous plan failed for precisely this reason.

"Yes, it's unfortunate when society makes such a choice. Agencies like the Police and Border Guard Board and ourselves will certainly apply for funding, but if support isn't secured in budget talks, then politicians must admit the plan may have been too ambitious," Sauk said.

For now, he added, things are moving smoothly. "At the moment, I see that we have support and we hope that continues across different governments," Sauk said.

He noted that the previous minister, Social Democrat Vladimir Svet, had been "quite strong" in pushing even the tougher proposals to the government level to seek agreement, while the current minister, Reform Party member Kuldar Leis, is also supportive. "The program is reasonable, balanced and realistic," Sauk said.

"All ministers have been good to work with. But how compromises are struck at the government level — that is up to the politicians and only they can say whether it will succeed," he added.

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