The European Parliament votes to accept Pan-European enforcement

In a landmark move, the European parliament has voted to approve Pan-European enforcement of traffic laws. This will allow police forces across Europe to share information on foreign motorists who break road traffic rules. No longer will offenders be able to dodge fines and other penalties for driving offences while committed abroad. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and TISPOL – the European Traffic Police Network have both welcomed this move Non-resident drivers account for approximately 5% of
February 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSS

In a landmark move, the European parliament has voted to approve Pan-European enforcement of traffic laws. This will allow police forces across Europe to share information on foreign motorists who break road traffic rules. No longer will offenders be able to dodge fines and other penalties for driving offences while committed abroad. The 1197 European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and 4753 TISPOL – the European Traffic Police Network have both welcomed this move
Non-resident drivers account for approximately 5% of road traffic in the EU but are responsible for 15% of speeding offences, according to 2465 European Commission figures. The law is expected to save at least 400 lives/year. The new rules cover offences including speeding, drink driving, using a mobile phone at the wheel and ignoring red lights.

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “Today’s vote will help put an end to the injustice of foreign drivers escaping traffic penalties while locals get punished for the same offence. This is a long overdue change. The deterrent effect is important, knowing that you can be caught plays a key role in preventing dangerous driving.”

The law will come into effect in most EU countries later this year; Denmark, Ireland and the UK will have two additional years. Those three countries opted-out of an earlier version of the rules, but agreed to back a new proposal after the European Court of Justice ruled last year that the legal basis had to be changed. The rules are also set to be reviewed in 2016.

TISPOL General Secretary Ruth Purdie commented, “The next step will be to improve enforcement of traffic laws across the EU, starting with minimum standards for large-scale, regular and visible police enforcement actions on the three main causes of death: speeding, failure to wear a seat belt and drink driving.”

The European Parliament's vote is the culmination of a seven-year legislative process and today’s positive result is thanks in no small part to several MEPs who have fought tirelessly for stronger enforcement of road safety rules across the EU. Inés Ayala Sender, a Spanish MEP, deserves particular credit for shepherding this law through the EU decision-making process since it was first proposed in 2008.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Distracted driving a problem in the UK
    July 22, 2015
    New research by the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) reveals the high risk of distracted driving. Many drivers are using their phones and tablets to take selfies, make video calls and watch videos while at the wheel according to the report. The findings come from research commissioned this month exclusively by the IAM, which asked 500 drivers how they use their smartphones and tablets in the car.
    Read More
  • Research shows young male drivers pose safety risk
    December 18, 2013
    Research from the UK reveals an alarming picture of road safety amongst young male drivers. This data is likely to be replicated in other European drivers as well as further afield. According to the UK’s Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), some 30,850 male drivers aged 17-20 have up to six points on their driving licences. However, only 9,758 female drivers aged 17-20 have up to six points on their licences. Drivers are awarded points for motoring offences in the UK, with more serious offences resulting
    Read More
  • ERF calls for better safety in Europe´s Work Zones
    May 14, 2015
    The European Road Federation will soon go on the road to promote greater work zone safety “As previous European projects (e.g. ARROWS) have already made proposals for the design of work zones at EU level, it was essential to avoid duplication and find an angle that would provide true added value” The European Commission has just unveiled the road safety statistics for 2014, which point to an overall slowdown in the momentum for casualty reduction achieved over the past few years. While the annual red
    Read More
  • Concerns over increased US road fatality rate in 2012
    November 25, 2013
    Data from the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that highway deaths increased to 33,561 in 2012, an increase of 1,082 over the figures for 2011.The official Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data reveals that the majority of the increase in deaths, some 72%, occurred in the first quarter of 2012. Most of those involved were motorcyclists and pedestrians. This newly released data marks the first increase in road related fatalities in the US
    Read More

Highlighted Content