From January 2026, Slovakia will introduce controversial rules capping speed on pavements at 6 km/h – applying to everyone, including pedestrians.
A revolution in road traffic law
In October 2025, the Slovak parliament passed an amendment to the Road Traffic Act introducing the so-called “pedestrian walking speed” on pavements in built-up areas. The maximum limit is 6 km/h, which in practice means a brisk walk, but definitely slower than jogging. The new rules cover all pavement users – pedestrians, roller skaters, e-scooter users and cyclists.
Exceeding the speed limit can result in a fine of 50 euros, or about 210 zloty. This is significantly more than most fines for pedestrians in Poland, which usually range between 50 and 100 zloty.
Goal or absurdity
The author of the controversial bill is Ľubomír Vážný, a former transport minister and MP for the Smer party. The official aim of the amendment is to increase pedestrian safety and reduce the number of collisions with users of e-scooters and mopeds, which have become a serious problem in Bratislava, Košice and Trnava.
Lawmakers argue that the new law will help police objectively determine whether the maximum speed has been exceeded in an area intended primarily for pedestrians. In practice, the main target is users of e-scooters travelling on pavements at 10-15 km/h.
Questions without answers
The biggest problem with the new rules is the lack of clear enforcement principles. For now, it is unclear whether special police patrols, speed cameras, or entirely different solutions will appear on pavements. Road traffic experts are sceptical – after all, how in practice can one measure whether a pedestrian exceeded the speed by one kilometre per hour?
The average speed of ordinary walking is 4 to 5 km/h, while 6.4 km/h is already considered a moderate pace for a person in excellent condition. This means that joggers, people hurrying to work, or even those with a naturally faster walking pace may unknowingly break the new law.
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