By Eve Nowell 
Artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding beyond digital services and into public infrastructure, with traffic enforcement emerging as a major testing ground. In Greece, a limited pilot program using AI-powered traffic cameras has revealed the scale of everyday driving violations, even when motorists know enforcement tools are in place.
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Between December 15 and January 8, just eight AI traffic cameras installed around Athens and its southern suburbs recorded 28,973 violations. The figure comes from preliminary results shared by Greek authorities as part of an evaluation phase that is nearing completion. Earlier data had already drawn attention when a single camera in Athens logged more than 1,000 violations in only four days.
The systems go far beyond traditional speed cameras. Using artificial intelligence to continuously analyze traffic behavior, the cameras can identify drivers using mobile phones, failing to wear seatbelts, speeding, running red lights, or driving in restricted bus lanes. All detections occur automatically, without on-site human monitoring.
The initial rollout placed cameras at seven major roads and intersections, yet they recorded an average of more than 1,100 violations per day. On Syngrou Avenue, one camera flagged more than 8,000 drivers for seatbelt or mobile phone violations and recorded over 1,000 speeding offenses in a 90 km/h zone. Red-light violations were even more concentrated at some intersections, with a single camera on Vouliagmenis Avenue logging 13,722 infractions in less than a month.
During the current calibration phase, violations are recorded but fines are not yet automatically issued. That is expected to change later this month, when the system becomes fully operational and offenders begin receiving digital notices with photographic evidence.
Penalties in Greece are significant. Seatbelt and mobile phone violations carry fines of €350, while speeding penalties range from €150 to €750. Running a red light can result in fines up to €2,000 and license suspensions of up to one year for repeat offenses. These amounts are substantial relative to the country’s average monthly salary of about €1,200.
Beyond enforcement, the program has prompted questions about data storage, access, and privacy compliance under Greek and EU law. Despite those concerns, expansion is already planned. The full program includes 2,000 fixed cameras and 500 mobile units, supported by a budget of approximately €93.8 million.
As similar AI-based enforcement systems are already in use across Europe, Australia, the United States, and Asia, Greece’s experience underscores how rapidly automated traffic enforcement is becoming a global standard.
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