Skip to main content

Go ahead for European cross-border enforcement

Plans to introduce the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive in Europe now look set to move ahead, despite news of the UK decision to delay its opting into the scheme.
February 21, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Plans to introduce the Cross-Border Enforcement Directive in Europe now look set to move ahead, despite news of the UK decision to delay its opting into the scheme.

The 1197 European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is urging EU Transport ministers and MEPs to adopt the Directive.

Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC said: “The situation is less than ideal, but the Council and European Parliament must carefully weigh up the EU-wide road safety benefits of the Directive and adopt this legislation, thus addressing a long-standing problem of enforcing traffic laws on non-residents.”

ETSC strongly believes the time to act is now: across the EU foreign drivers make up only 5% of traffic but 15% of speeding offences.

The decision of the UK to delay its opt-in implies that UK citizens will be exempt from this important new road safety law. Fellow Europeans may also be affected by the failure of the UK citizens to comply with traffic regulations when travelling abroad. Ireland also has to formally opt-in to be covered by the new Directive and ETSC is looking forward to a positive decision coming from the new government in Dublin.

The main objective of the new Directive is to introduce a system of exchanging information to enable the follow up of road safety related traffic offences committed by non-resident drivers. The swift adoption of the Directive would introduce equal treatment of foreign and resident drivers and most importantly, save lives on Europe’s roads.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Cross border driving offence law comes close for EU
    February 28, 2012
    It will be two years before an efficient cross-border system for fining drivers who commit offences in other European countries can be implemented.
  • Enforcement lack affects safety on Europe’s roads
    June 17, 2016
    Insufficient police enforcement across Europe is damaging road safety, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). Two reports available through the ETSC say that a fall in the level of police enforcement of traffic offences is contributing to Europe’s failure to cut the numbers dying in road collisions. More than 26,000 people died on EU roads last year, the first increase since 2001 according to the ETSC annual road safety performance index (PIN) report. Exceeding speed limits, drink or
  • Better road safety reduces Europe’s casualty figures
    April 1, 2014
    Improving road safety in the EU has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate. Official figures just released show that the number of people killed on Europe's roads fell by 8% in 2013. This follows on from the drop in fatalities of between 2011 and 2012. These provisional figures released by the European Commission provide grounds for optimism and Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “We welcome the reduction in the number of road deaths in Europe last yea
  • European Parliament backs rules revision to promote safer lorries
    April 23, 2014
    The European Parliament has voted to support revised rules on the dimensions of heavy goods vehicles aimed at enabling manufacturers to produce safer lorries. The legislation will, it is claimed, create cabs with improved visibility, reducing the risk of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas. Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), said, “This legislation is a step forward because it will enable innovative new designs that include crumple