Europe to enforce driving penalties across borders. (North Shropshire Liberal Democrats)

North Shropshire Liberal Democrats <roma.hoseason@btinternet.com>

Europe to enforce driving penalties across borders.

December 17, 2007 12:00 AM
Originally published by West Midlands Liberal Democrats

Liz Lynne MEP. Local LibDem MEP Liz Lynne has today welcomes the European Parliament's backing of the cross-border enforcement of penalties for speeding, drink-driving, not wearing a seatbelt and running a red light. These four offences are responsible for most fatalities on European roads.

At present, sanctions for traffic violations in Member States other than the driver's country of residence - especially the automatically recorded ones - are mostly not followed through. This relative impunity encourages irresponsible driving and undermines road safety.

The cross-country data exchange network through which European countries will identify and notify offenders is accompanied by data protection safeguards. It will be evaluated after two years when its scope can be extended to cover other violations as well.

Commenting on the result Liz, who is Vice- President on the Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee said:

"Today's vote is not about harmonising the rules of the road or the penalties for traffic violations. Instead we are putting in place an efficient system of cross-border enforcement of penalties for the four most dangerous offences so as to make drivers think twice before breaking the rules if they know that fines will follow them home."

"We expect Member States will follow up swiftly and endorse this bill. We will no longer be taken for a ride by drivers exploiting the loopholes in the system"

"I hope that in the future we can build on this legislation to end all cross-border fine dodging as well. West Midlands taxpayers currently lose millions of pounds a year because of inadequate systems to make foreign drivers pay fines for less serious breaches like parking or illegal use of bus lanes."