Average speed, high fines, and lawsuits: First data from the new toll system

As of September 7, 2025, a new control system came into force on Bulgarian roads, which uses existing toll cameras to monitor the average speed of vehicles. The measure, which has been introduced on 22 sections of the national road network, has caused a wide public debate, and the first data from its application indicate a huge number of violations.

Thousands of violations in a matter of days

In just the first 12 hours after the system was launched, authorities reported over **1,500 violations** of the average speed. This number is growing rapidly, with more than **7,000 speeding violations** registered in the first two days of the measure's operation. These figures show that a significant number of drivers do not follow the limits, even at the risk of being sanctioned. The most shocking case registered by the system was a passenger car that traveled at an average speed of **222 km/h** in a section with an obviously lower permissible limit. Such violations highlight both the need for increased control and the serious non-compliance with road traffic rules.

Legal disputes and an expected judicial "boom"

Despite the clear data on the number of violations, the new system is already the subject of criticism. Some **legal experts** express serious concerns about its legislative basis. According to them, the lack of explicit legal provisions to regulate the control of average speed can lead to a challenge of a large part of the imposed fines. They predict that courts will be flooded with lawsuits, and it is possible that many of the electronic tickets will be overturned. These claims create uncertainty among drivers and call into question the long-term effectiveness of the measure, even though it was introduced with the goal of increasing road safety.

Unanswered questions

One of the main questions that remains without a clear answer is how legitimate the entire procedure is. If the imposed fines are massively overturned by the court, it would make the huge investments and efforts put into building and implementing the system meaningless. The public debate focuses not only on the amount of the sanctions, but also on their legal sustainability. On the one hand, the authorities point to the satisfactory number of established violations as proof of the need for such control. On the other hand, the legal arguments raise questions about whether the state is prepared to legally defend its measures. Against this background, drivers are faced with a new reality in which they must consider not only their momentary speed, but also their average speed over long sections.

Conclusion

The launch of the new average speed control system showed that it is sorely needed given the huge number of violators. In the first few days, thousands of speeding violations were found, with the highest reaching 222 km/h. At the same time, however, legal questions about the legitimacy of the measure could lead to serious legal battles. The future will show whether the system will be able to withstand these challenges and establish itself as an effective tool for road safety, or whether it will become another example of a controversial legislative initiative that fails to withstand the test of the judicial system.