Drenthe speed cameras have resulted in almost 21,000 fines in the first four months of this year. That is more than 33 percent more than a year ago, according to figures from the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB).
This concerns fines issued by fixed and flexible speed cameras and the so-called ‘focus flash’. Since May 2025, the latter has been a newcomer among the flashes. The mobile device has a camera that spots calling and texting road users.
This year the focus flash flashed 1,759 times in Drenthe, more than half of which on the N381 between Beilen and Westerbork. Also on the Hondsrugweg in Emmen, near De Hoge Loo, 403 drivers made the mistake.
This year, ten new focus flashes will be added, spread across the country.
The main reason for the increased number of fines is due to the flexible speed cameras, which have become considerably busier in our province. These speed cameras are temporarily placed along dangerous or busy roads, making it more difficult for motorists to respond to them. Together, the flexible speed cameras fined 7,179 people: an increase of about 75 percent.
The fixed speed cameras also had a little more to do this year; an increase from 11,809 to 12,030 fines. Of these, 11,748 motorists drove too fast, while the remaining 282 ignored a traffic light. This year, road users have mainly lost sight of the speed camera on the Alteveer in Hoogeveen; 4,711 people were fined there.
It is striking that the speed camera at the barracks along the Vaart in Assen – where most people were flashed in 2025 – handed in a quarter of fines: from about 1,600 to more than 1,200. The speed camera at the intersection with Roderweg and Bunnerveenseweg in Bunne produces comparable figures.
In addition to those three speed cameras, there are also mobile radar sets. This is a camera that uses infrared light to check whether you are driving too fast or if you are holding your phone in your hands behind the wheel.
This device can be built into a police car or used on a tripod. The number of registered violations by the radar sets has increased from 37,215 to 40,390 in the Northern Netherlands compared to last year. There are no figures per province.
In any case, the CJIB sees a significant increase in the number of traffic violations. Nationally, the number of road users fined has increased by 13 percent in one year.
Of all 2.6 million fines, 1.8 million were for speeding. What is particularly striking is that compared to last year, people were caught running red lights 35 percent more often.