Moscow officially unveils traffic cameras able to detect drivers without seatbelts

Moscow has installed traffic cameras that are able to detect when drivers aren’t wearing their seatbelts or are using their phones while behind the wheel.

As it turns out, the cameras were installed back in February, but drivers weren’t issued fines during testing, the Moscow government’s Center for Organizing Road Traffic wrote on Telegram. 

The traffic cameras will compile information independently, which inspectors will use as the basis for issuing fines for traffic violations. The cameras will be controlled by the municipal Center for Organizing Road Traffic and the Moscow traffic police.

Drivers face 1,000-ruble fines (about $12.40) for not wearing seatbelts and 1,500-ruble fines (about $18.60) for using a cellphone while driving.

According to Kommersant, in 2019, 2.8 million tickets were issued in Russia for non-compliance with rules on wearing seatbelts and motorcycle helmets. Driving without a seatbelt ranked fifth on Russia’s list of most popular traffic violations last year.

The majority of tickets for traffic violations in Russia were issued with the help of traffic cameras — 112.1 million to be precise. Traffic police inspectors issued an additional 20 million tickets.