A new tender issued by Israel Police heralds its plan to replace the current orange roadside cameras with a smarter system for measuring average speed along a highway. Instead of one camera that records the speed at a specific point, enforcement will check the driver's speed along the entire section of a road. The system is scheduled to begin operating in the third quarter of 2026.
This is a major step that will help Israel align with global standards. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Israel is currently lagging behind other western countries. About 80% of its enforcement is manual and only about 20% is digital, a reverse mirror image of other OECD countries. Israel currently has about 17 speed cameras per million inhabitants, compared to an average of about 130 cameras per million inhabitants in the five leading OECD countries.
Which cameras are we talking about?
The new system will be based on photographing and documenting vehicles entering and exiting a road section, while calculating the average speed between the two points. Unlike the current orange cameras, which measure the vehicle's speed at a specific point, with the new cameras, the calculation is based on a road section that can stretch over many kilometers. The cameras themselves are equipped with smart recognition capabilities, which identify the type of vehicle and its color using advanced video analytics. The tender includes preparations for the installation of 250 new cameras, spread across 125 road sections around Israel.
How will it work In practice?
Cameras will be placed at the beginning and end of each road section. When a vehicle enters the section, the camera will record the license plate, the exact time of entry. At the end of the section, the second camera will record the same data. After that, police systems will process the time that has passed between the two points and calculate the average speed of the vehicle. If the speed is higher than the limit, the driver will receive a ticket.
Why now?
Speed cameras are now considered an outdated technology, especially when drivers know where they are located, making it easy to slow down when approaching the camera. At the same time, the State Comptroller pointed to a continuing decline in enforcement due to a lack of resources, together with data on increased road accidents.
According to an analysis of police data by the Or Yarok Association, one in three fatal accidents in 2023 was caused by driving at excessive speed or in a way that does not match the road conditions. Or Yarok CEO Adv. Yaniv Yaakov said, "The most effective way to cut unnecessary deaths is by placing clear, visible and controlled speed cameras on those roads where there is a direct connection between excessive speed and accidents. Speed cameras against accidents have been proven worldwide to be effective and save lives."
Who is bidding for the tender?
The budget allocated to the project by Israel Traffic Police is about NIS 14.4 million, for the deployment of 120 cameras along 60 road sections. The police issued the tender to automated enforcement suppliers in Israel and abroad, but their names are not made public. The tender itself sets a series of strict conditions, such as a guaranteed bid of NIS 200,000 and compliance with technical specifications, which include advanced video processing capabilities, license plate recognition and secure communication, which targets mainly large and experienced companies in the field.
How will this affect the fines?
At this stage, the size of fines will not change. Reliance on an automated system is expected to be more uniform than reliance on police vehicles, the deployment of which is very limited compared with other developed countries. However, the transition may result in an increase in the number of tickets, because the measurement along the entire section of road reduces the possibility of driving at high speed between the cameras.
Currently, the amount of fines for speeding varies depending on the type of road and the extent of the violation. On an urban road, fines range from NIS 250 to 1,500. Speeding more than 41 km/h over the limit leads to a summons and license revocation. On an interurban road, the penalty threshold varies from NIS 250 shekels to 750. Speeding more 41-50 kmh over the limit increases the fine to NIS 1,500, and beyond that, over 51 kmh over the limit, brinmgs a summons and license revocation.
What cameras are there today?
Enforcement in Israel is mainly based on A3 cameras, which measure spot speed using two metal strips installed on the road. These cameras were installed on the roads in 2013. In addition, the police use mobile cameras and laser devices to measure speed. According to the police, 270,000 tickets were issued by the orange cameras in 2024.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 9, 2025.
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