279 stationary radars and analytical cameras — this is the number of traffic control devices Slovakia plans to install across the country. The first of them are already in place and operating in test mode: on the D2 highway near Jarovce outside Bratislava and on Hlboká street in Trnava. And if you are used to Waze warning you about radars, this habit may soon cost you dearly.
What is known about the first cameras
The first to notice the new radars were drivers and automotive portals. The camera on the D2 near Jarovce, according to observations, covers six traffic lanes at once. The second is located in the center of Trnava on Hlboká street.
The Ministry of the Interior confirmed to journalists that the cameras are installed and functioning. But only in test mode. What this means in practice, whether fines are already being issued to violators, and when testing will end, the ministry did not specify. The exact locations of future radars are also kept secret.
Cameras will see not only speed
The new system is not classic radars, where it is enough to brake in time. The devices will record several types of violations:
- speeding;
- running a red traffic light;
- ignoring the STOP sign;
- in the future — talking on the phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
A separate story is 18 sections with úsekové meranie (section average speed measurement). The system records the car number at the entrance and exit of the section and calculates the average speed over the entire segment. Slowing down before the camera and then accelerating again will not help here.
Fine — already the next working day
The project is designed to be fully automated: from recording the violation to issuing and sending the fine to the vehicle owner. Without a police officer, without human factor, and, by design, without the possibility to "negotiate." The fine notification should arrive the next working day after the violation.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, radars will be installed primarily on the most accident-prone sections, the so-called roads of death. Drivers will be informed about the locations of stationary cameras.
Why the launch was delayed for years
Funds for the project, about 29.7 million euros, were allocated from the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan. But procurement did not go smoothly: the first tender, announced in September 2023, was canceled by the new Ministry of the Interior leadership due to deficiencies and lack of transparency. In August 2024, a new competition was announced with an expected cost of 64.7 million euros, and in June 2026 the Public Procurement Office ÚVO again found violations in the tender, including unclear description of the procurement subject.
Initially, the system was planned to launch in 2025. Now a full launch of the entire network is expected during 2026.
What this means for you
If you drive in Slovakia in your own or work vehicle, speeding will soon become noticeably riskier. Automatic fines will be sent to the vehicle owner. So if the car is registered not to you, you will have to explain to the owner.
The practical advice is simple: watch the signs, not Waze. Especially on the D2 near Bratislava and in Trnava, where cameras are already watching the road, even if fines from them are still in test mode. Details about how the new system works were collected by the Startitup portal.
