How average speed cameras actually work in Bulgaria
I've been digging into how the average speed enforcement system works in Bulgaria lately, and a few things still aren't clear to me.
The principle is simple on paper: V = d / (T2 - T1), distance divided by the time between the two cameras. But:
- Is the calculation done only between the camera at the start of the section and the one at the end, or are there intermediate cameras that factor in as well?
- If you don't enter the section exactly at the declared starting point, can the average speed still be calculated, or are you dropped from the measurement?
- I've read people claiming that on some sections there are gas stations between the two cameras, and that if you stop there for a minute, the average gets thrown off. Does that actually work, or is it a myth?
- On the official map of certified sections there are a few odd stretches. For example "Ихтиман-Мирово", where the declared average speed is 140 km/h, even though it isn't a motorway section. I can't figure out where that limit comes from there.
The number of certified sections has grown quite fast, from 22 at the launch in September 2025 to over 60 by early 2026.
The reason I'm digging into this so much is practical. My car doesn't show this kind of measurement, and while driving there's no way to work out in my head what my average has been since the moment I entered the section. I use Waze as my main navigation and there's nothing like it there either. The idea isn't to exceed the limit, quite the opposite to be sure I'm not breaking it, without guessing.
How do you deal with this? Do you actually calculate it, or do you just drive under the limit and not think about it? And has anyone received a fine for average speed, and how quickly did it arrive?