Police checks and the arrest of Dimitra Matsouka

On December 2, Dimitra Matsouka is due to appear in court after being arrested in Vouliagmeni for driving well above the speed limit, without a license and without license plates. According to the Traffic Police, she was driving on Athinas Street at 97 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

During the inspection, officers found that the 51-year-old had been without a valid driver’s license since October 10, and her car’s plates had been removed by the Athens Traffic Division on November 16. Her alcohol tests showed 0.42 mg/L and 0.38 mg/L, while the legal limit is 0.25.

Matsouka was taken to the Southeast Attica Police Department where the fast-track procedure was initiated, and on Thursday she was brought before the former Evelpidon Court complex. Her trial was postponed to December 2 so she can present proof of fine payments, and she was released shortly after. The Prosecutor’s Office has charged her with dangerous driving, driving a vehicle without plates, and driving after her license had been revoked.

Her lawyer, Alexis Stefanakis, told MEGA that she is “very upset” and added, “Dimitra is being unfair to herself.” He said the judicial authorities “have asked for explanations, and we must give them openly,” noting that the circumstances surrounding the removed plates and the revoked license will be reviewed. He described the incident as “an unfortunate event” that did not involve crashes or injuries.

The incident involving Tsitsipas’s Lotus and the new ‘smart cameras’

In a separate case, Tsitsipas’s lawyer, Thanasis Papathanasiou, clarified the circumstances regarding the Lotus that was recorded at 210 km/h on Attiki Odos on September 24. As he told tennisnews, “the car was being driven by a third person” to whom Tsitsipas had lent the vehicle, while the athlete himself was in the passenger seat. According to the lawyer, “the fine and the submission of the license have all been settled.”

Tsitsipas was among the first drivers to receive a digital speeding ticket through gov.gr, as the new smart road-monitoring cameras have already begun recording violations on major roads such as Kifisias, Syngrou and Vouliagmeni. Fines are automatically sent to citizens’ digital mailboxes, allowing immediate notification and online payment. The system is part of a new digital reform aimed at improving road safety.

What the new Highway Code (ΚΟΚ) stipulates

Under the updated Highway Code (Law 5209/2025), penalties for violations that threaten road safety have become significantly stricter.

Examples:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol:
  • 0.50–0.80 g/L: €350 fine + 30-day license suspension
  • 0.80–1.10 g/L: €700 fine + 90-day suspension
  • Above 1.10 g/L: €1,200 fine, plates and license removed for 180 days, vehicle immobilization, and possible criminal charges
• Driving without a license:
  €1,000 fine, one-year license suspension, and up to two years in prison; repeat offenses carry a €2,000 fine and four-year suspension.
• Exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h:
  €700 fine + 60-day license suspension; repeat offenses: €1,000 fine and up to 180-day suspension; second repeat: €2,000 fine and one-year suspension.

The cases of Matsouka and Tsitsipas fall into categories now subject to harsher sanctions — including not only administrative fines and license removal but, in some cases, criminal prosecution.