New data from LMT Group’s traffic monitoring solution in Riga shows that red-light violations in Latvia’s capital have dropped by 66% over the last six months since setting up the traffic monitoring solution in 9 locations. After peaking at 3,636 violations in August 2025, the number declined steadily through the autumn and winter months, reaching 1,134 in February 2026.
Before LMT’s solution rollout in March 2025, Riga Municipal Police issued 1,250 red-light violation tickets across the entire city in 2024 through manual patrols, illustrating the benefits of automated solutions for improved traffic management, while reducing strain on traffic enforcement resources.
The data has also revealed that Riga’s riskiest hour for red-light violations is not later in the evening rush, but between 4 and 5 p.m. This finding challenges the assumption that traffic risks are highest later in the evening rush hour, after 5 p.m., when many commuters are heading home. By comparison, the number of red-light violations during the morning commute in Riga is found to be half as high.
“Smart control systems have become an indispensable tool for organizing the city’s circulatory system – the traffic flow – preventing the intentional creation of congestion and ensuring priority for public transport. The goal of technology is not to punish, but to instill self-discipline: we see that precise monitoring of speed limits, red lights, and traffic lanes helps create a safer and more predictable environment for every road user and even saves lives,” Andrejs Aronovs, Deputy Chief of the Riga Municipal Police.
According to European Commission data, 19,400 people lost their lives in road accidents in Europe in 2025, while Latvia ranked fourth in the EU for road fatalities. Although the total number of fatal accidents fell by 3% in 2025, which, given the increase in vehicles on EU roads, is a significant achievement, Europe still hasn’t achieved its Vision Zero — the goal of eliminating road deaths.
“Transport monitoring is not only an enforcement tool – it is also a way to make cities safer through data. Road fatalities remain a serious challenge across Europe, and Latvia is no exception. Solutions such as ours help authorities respond more effectively, while also giving city planners the evidence they need to improve infrastructure and reduce risks for everyone on the road,” Gints Jakovels, Computer Vision and Mobility Solutions Manager at LMT Group.
LMT’s traffic monitoring solution includes a wide range of capabilities, such as detecting and classifying objects, tracking their movement, recognizing vehicle licence plates, and identifying traffic light signals. In addition to red light violations, the system can also detect the illegal use of bus lanes and unlawful stopping at intersections. When a potential violation is detected, the system forwards the relevant information to Riga Municipal Police and the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), which assesses the incident and determines the penalty.
Beyond enforcement, the solution provides vital statistical analytics. By monitoring traffic flows and movement patterns, urban planners can identify where infrastructure upgrades – such as traffic lights or crossings – are truly needed, replacing estimates with real-world evidence.
The LMT traffic monitoring solution is installed in six cities in Latvia, serving over 800,000 inhabitants. To illustrate the scale of detection, Latvia’s entire fleet of 360-degree police camera cars recorded 740 red-light violations in 2024, while LMT’s solution at a single intersection detected six times that number over six months. The solution is also used by the City of Graz, Austria.
