Central Romania: Brașov expands pilot smart traffic light program
Brașov City Hall, in central Romania, announced the expansion of the pilot smart traffic light program on one of the city’s most heavily used roads, Griviței Boulevard, on Wednesday, April 29.
The new installations have been mounted near the intersection with Codrii Cosminului Street and in the Transgaz area, immediately after the Fartec overpass. According to local authorities, when a vehicle approaches at a speed higher than the permitted limit, the road traffic light switches to red for approximately 10 seconds, forcing the driver to stop. Afterwards, traffic returns to normal.
The decision comes after the positive results obtained on Lungă Street, where four such systems were previously installed. Authorities claim that the measure has contributed to reducing driving speed and increasing road safety, especially in areas heavily frequented by pedestrians.
The mayor of Brașov, George Scripcaru, emphasized that the purpose of the smart traffic light systems is not to sanction drivers, but to discourage dangerous behavior in traffic, according to Brasov.net.
Unlike traditional speed bumps, which affect all road users, the new technologies target only those who do not respect the rules. At the same time, the operation of pedestrian traffic lights remains unchanged. Crossing is still done by pressing the dedicated button, and the smart system intervenes only in cases where vehicles exceed the speed limit.
To inform drivers of the new system, road signs indicating the presence of radar systems have been placed before these pedestrian crossings.
According to Eurostat, Romania had one of the highest death rates per one million inhabitants in 2024. Overall, 3,558 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the EU in 2024. However, the share of pedestrian deaths varies considerably between EU countries, from 9.7% in the Netherlands to 43.8% in Malta. The share was also around 30% in Romania (32.6%), Latvia (30.4%), and Lithuania (28.2%).
(Photo source: Primaria Municipiului Brasov on Facebook)
