The Czech Police and the country’s largest traffic safety web portal, www.bezpecnecesty.cz, are teaming up to make this year’s ROADPOL Speed Marathon on April 9th more effective by involving the public in the fight against excessive speeding.
Czech citizens are being encouraged to play a proactive role in identifying high-risk locations for speed violations. By sharing their observations of places where drivers frequently break the speed limit, the public can contribute to a more targeted and effective enforcement strategy. The initiative is part of the pan-European ROADPOL Speed Marathon, which seeks to reduce road accidents and fatalities by ensuring strict adherence to speed limits.
Engagement
For the first time, citizens are invited to suggest locations where they believe speed limits are most commonly ignored. These submissions can be made via the Bezpecnecesty.cz platform, with the public being urged to submit tips for areas that pose a significant danger to road safety, such as near schools, in areas with limited visibility, or on busy intersections.
“Engaging the community is essential in making the Speed Marathon more impactful,” says Violeta Siřišťová from the Police. “We want to empower the public to play a key role in identifying locations where speeding is most problematic, helping us allocate resources more efficiently and effectively. With their help, we can target areas where violations are frequent and where lives could be at risk.”
Method
To participate, citizens simply need to navigate to the website, zoom in on the map to the specific location they want to report, and submit their tip. Participants are encouraged to review existing suggestions and vote on them, either by upvoting or downvoting, as tips that receive more votes will be prioritized by the police. “Not only will this effort help us identify the most dangerous spots on the road, but it also strengthens the relationship between the police and the public,” Siřišťová adds.
The Speed Marathon will take place on April 9, 2025, with Czech police focusing on the areas identified by the public, along with those flagged through safety analyses. Enforcement will be carried out by both officers on the ground using speed measurement devices and through fixed automatic speed cameras. The Speed Marathon is a part of the wider ROADPOL Operation Speed, an annual initiative that takes place twice a year across Europe. The operation aims to reduce traffic fatalities by enforcing speed limits and raising awareness of the dangers of excessive speed. While enforcement actions occur year-round, the Speed Marathon is a special day where countries dedicate an entire 24-hour period to speed enforcement.
In addition to physical police interventions, the operation also relies heavily on automated technologies such as speed cameras. By integrating both human and technological resources, the effort aims to have a far-reaching impact on road safety.
Risk
Exceeding speed limits remains one of the primary causes of traffic accidents across Europe, and the Czech Republic is no exception. In recent years, speeding has been a significant contributing factor to road fatalities and injuries in the country. With less than two months remaining until the Speed Marathon, the Czech Police are calling on all citizens to submit their tips and help identify risky speed hotspots. “Together, we can make Czech roads safer and prevent future tragedies,” says Siřišťová.
The ROADPOL Speed Marathon is supported by the STRIDER III project, co-funded by ROADPOL and the European Union.