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Experimental System Would Track Time Vehicles Take Between Different Points on Highways, But Average Speed Recorded Could Not, on Its Own, Result in Fines or Sanctions.
The National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) temporarily suspended the tests of average speed control planned for highways in eight Brazilian states. The decision halts an experiment intended to evaluate a system that differs from conventional radars, which is capable of calculating the speed developed by the driver during a specific stretch, not just at the moment the vehicle passes the equipment.
The measure was adopted to allow for technical analysis and adjustments related to signage, communication with users, and operational procedures. ANTT also clarified an important point regarding the project: no driver was fined or penalized based on the tests, since the data collected had technical, educational, and experimental purposes.
Average Speed Radars Calculate How Long It Takes for Drivers to Travel a Section of the Highway
The functioning of this technology alters the logic of the radars traditionally found on Brazilian roads. While conventional equipment measures speed at a particular point, the average speed radar uses two or more locations to track the time the vehicle takes over a known route.
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The vehicle is identified at one point and then again registered further ahead. With the distance between the equipment and the time required to complete the route, it becomes possible to calculate the average speed for that section. The chosen locations for the experiment were also intended to inform users that the system was being tested.
This difference would allow for observation of driver behavior over a longer distance. Still, the average speed recorded could not, by itself, result in fines, sanctions, or any other penalties during the experimental phase authorized by ANTT.
Tests Were Planned for Highways in Eight Brazilian States
At the beginning of September 2026, ANTT had authorized tests of the system in Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina. The goal was to evaluate the technology for potential use on federal highways.
In Espírito Santo, stretches of BR-101 were planned, while Goiás would have tests on BR-414 and Mato Grosso do Sul on BR-163. Minas Gerais would focus experiments on BR-050, BR-381, BR-040, and BR-116. In Paraná, BR-444, BR-862, BR-376, BR-163, BR-277, and PR-151 were included.
Rio de Janeiro would have monitored stretches on BR-101, including the Rio-Niterói Bridge, as well as BR-116. In Rio Grande do Sul, the experiment was set for BR-386, while Santa Catarina would have evaluation points on BR-101.
ANTT’s Project Was Experimental and Did Not Allow for Fines Based on Average Speed
Since the initiative was authorized, ANTT (Brazil’s National Land Transportation Agency) determined that information obtained during the tests could not be used to penalize drivers solely based on average speed. The inspection was intended to serve a technical purpose and would allow monitoring user behavior in the controlled sections.
The pilot project was presented by the agency as both an educational and experimental endeavor. One of the evaluation periods was set for 180 days and could be extended, with results helping to analyze the operation of the technology on toll roads.
The suspension temporarily altered this timeline. According to ANTT, the procedures are now undergoing analyses and operational revisions, along with adjustments to signage and how the project is communicated to users, prior to any potential resumption.
Experience on BR-050 recorded a 22.5% drop in speed violations after educational campaign
The experimental use of average speed cameras in Brazil began before this initiative. On BR-050, in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, EcoRodovias was already testing the technology over approximately 11 kilometers in an area known for traffic accidents.
According to the concessionaire, the number of recorded speed violations fell 22.5% when comparing the 15 days before and the 15 days after an educational blitz conducted with the Federal Highway Police (PRF). Approached drivers received information about how the project works and road safety guidance.
The operations manager of Eco050 and Ecovias do Cerrado, Bruno Araújo Silva, explained that drivers were directed to a setup designed to provide information about the experience. On BR-050, the system remained focused on educational road safety campaigns.
São Paulo issued 852,000 educational notifications in six months of testing
São Paulo also experimented with the technology before ANTT’s new initiative. During six months of testing, over 852,000 notifications were issued, but the warnings were educational in nature and did not lead to fines or records of traffic violations.
The equipment was installed at four locations in São Paulo: Avenida Jacu Pêssego, Avenida dos Bandeirantes, Marginal Tietê, and Avenida 23 de Maio. Jacu Pêssego, in the East Zone, accounted for the highest number of notifications. The avenue is about 26 kilometers long, but only three kilometers were monitored.
These previous experiences demonstrated how average speed could be tracked over a route, while the new project would extend the evaluation to toll roads in various states. With the suspension mandated by ANTT, new tests remain halted while the system undergoes the adjustments outlined by the agency.
