By Brian Johnson - 19th March 2008
The European commission has unveiled plans to make it easier for member states to identify and prosecute non-resident foreign drivers who commit offences in their countries.
Detailing the proposals to journalists in Brussels on Wednesday, commissioner for transport Jacques Barrot said that the new directive “will send a clear signal to drivers”.
According to the French commissioner, a driver committing an offence in a car registered in another EU country is likely to evade prosecution because of identification difficulties or from not being able to check the address to which the vehicle is registered.
Barrot wants to set up a European network for the electronic exchange of data that will allow member states to send notices of offences to other countries.
“It’s a system that is quick and simple, which will provide the number plate and address of the owner of the offending car,” said Barrot.
"Road safety is everyone's business and a priority for the commission. In 2001 we set ourselves the goal of reducing by half the number of deaths on our roads over a ten-year period.
"If we are to reach this target, we need to make additional efforts now.
“Drivers will now know that they have the threat of sanctions hanging over them,” added Barrot.
The move follows a largely ineffective 2003 commission recommendation on road safety enforcement across the EU.
“The trend in accidents shows that this non-coercive instrument is not enough to achieve results. Except in very rare cases, current bilateral agreements have had no effect,” said the commission in an accompanying press statement.
“Adopting an effective system of cross-border prosecution of traffic offences should help to make an appreciable reduction in the current number of people killed in road accidents.”
Barrot went on to detail that around five per cent of drivers in each EU member state are non-nationals.
“But foreign drivers are responsible for 15 per cent of accidents,” he said
However, Barrot’s plans could be stymied because of national governments’ tardiness in transposing earlier legislation.
“There might be an offender that doesn’t pay up and this is where we come into the scope of application of the 2005 framework decision of mutual recognition of pecuniary sanctions," said Barrot, responding to questions that drivers would still ignore any fines originating for outside their home country.
“This framework decision does allow authorities to ensure that once a fine has been imposed, it is actually paid. However, only a limited number of member states have transposed this framework decision into national law”.
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