Greece will use drones and AI to crack down on traffic violators
Greece is implementing a large-scale digital system for traffic management and enforcement. It will combine fixed cameras, artificial intelligence technologies, drones, and data that will be transmitted in real time to a central operations center.
Approximately 4,000 violations recorded by the pilot system of “smart” cameras have already been confirmed; fines have been issued and sent electronically.
Over the next ten days, 388 new cameras installed in the Attica region are expected to become fully operational.
At the same time, the Greek police are launching Traffic Commander—a system that collects information from 24 different sources so that the relevant authorities can monitor traffic, detect incidents, and coordinate the actions of patrol crews, motorcycles, and aerial assets.
The two systems have different but complementary objectives. The cameras record potential violations, and fines are issued based on the data they collect. Traffic Commander, on the other hand, is used to manage traffic and incidents in real time.
388 cameras have been installed at approximately 100 intersections with traffic lights in the Athens metropolitan area. In the first phase, they will exclusively record vehicles running a red light.
According to Dimitris Papastergiou, Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, the final adjustments to the software are being completed so that the cameras can be fully integrated into a unified system for issuing violation notices.
The cameras operate in conjunction with the traffic lights and record vehicles that cross the stop line after the red light comes on. Every potential violation is captured in photos and videos, which are transmitted via a secure channel to the traffic police.
These devices operate differently from the pilot AI-powered cameras, which are capable of detecting a wider range of violations.
The pilot AI-powered cameras can detect running a red light, speeding, using a cell phone while driving, failure to wear a seatbelt or helmet, as well as illegal driving or stopping in a public transit lane.
The automatic license plate recognition system also records the vehicle’s characteristics—make, model, and color—and classifies the type of potential violation.
Cameras on buses are used exclusively to monitor illegal driving and parking in lanes designated for public transportation.
Despite the automated detection, fines are not issued solely by an algorithm. The footage is reviewed by authorized traffic police officers, who confirm that a violation actually occurred.
The spread of digital technologies is also accompanied by an increase in routine police patrols.
In the first half of 2026, 1.57 million breathalyzer tests were conducted throughout Greece, compared to approximately 750,000 during the same period in 2025.
The government plans to install about 1,000 cameras in 2026 in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Crete. The network will continue to expand in 2027, and about 300 mobile cameras are expected to be put into operation by the beginning of that year.
Data on violations will be gradually integrated into a unified electronic system, which will be used to register violations, issue and deliver fines, file complaints, and pay fines.
This was reported with reference to Euronews.
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