EU transport committee votes for cross-border enforcement of traffic offences

Motorists who speed, ignore red lights or drink and drive when in a European country other than their own will be brought to book more easily, thanks to closer cooperation between European police forces and EU-wide enforcement of traffic rules, under plans approved yesterday by the European Parliament's transport committee. However, the UK and Ireland decided not to opt in to the system, while Denmark is entitled to opt out because the Council changed the legal basis of the directive from "transport" to "po
May 18, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Motorists who speed, ignore red lights or drink and drive when in a European country other than their own will be brought to book more easily, thanks to closer cooperation between European police forces and EU-wide enforcement of traffic rules, under plans approved yesterday by the European Parliament's transport committee. However, the UK and Ireland decided not to opt in to the system, while Denmark is entitled to opt out because the Council changed the legal basis of the directive from "transport" to "police cooperation" at first reading.

Throughout the rest of the EC, traffic police authorities will be able to pursue offenders in their home country by using the Eurocaris data exchange system. Speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, failure to wear seatbelts, illegal use of mobile phones, using bus lanes, not wearing helmets when riding a motorcycle and crossing red lights are among the offences covered by the legislation.

Harmonising basic traffic rules and setting common standards for sanctions and enforcement procedures in future would help further reduce the death toll on Europe's roads, MEPs stressed during the debate ahead of the vote which was adopted yesterday by a large majority. The directive will enter into force at the latest two years after adoption and will be subject to close monitoring and assessment by the 1690 European Commission.
Enforcement

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Dubai increases enforcement cameras
    March 4, 2013
    Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is to install 100 new radar speed-camera stations, twenty-four of which will be activated by Dubai Police in May. The new cameras include systems installed at traffic signals to catch drivers who speed up to catch the green light or jump a red light. In 2011, more than 1.5 million speeding offences were recorded by radar cameras, the Dubai Statistics Centre reported. That figure represented a leap of about 115,000 on the previous year, when 1.4 million speeding
    Read More
  • ECTRI speaker ‘anticipates US$111 billion of EU transport research funding’
    October 15, 2013
    In a special event attended by more than 100 high level representatives of all sectors of European transport, the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI), recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary Brussels, Belgium. Among the speakers who stressed the importance of ECTRI’s role in European transport research was ECTRI President, Professor George A. Giannopoulos, director of the Hellenic Institute of Transport. He discussed ECTRI’s achievements over the past ten years, in particular: t
    Read More
  • Speed limiters mandatory in EU cars by 2022
    March 28, 2019
    Various vehicle safety measures have been given the green light by European policymakers, paving the way for speed limiters in cars by 2022. The European Parliament, Council and Commission have approved the measures, which means such technology as lane assist, drowsiness detection, advanced emergency braking and intelligent speed assistance (ISA – or speed limiters) are expected to be mandatory – if formal approval is granted - in new vehicles in three years’ time. EU commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska, res
    Read More
  • Assessing the potential of in-vehicle enforcement systems
    December 4, 2012
    Jason Barnes considers the social and ethical ramifications of using in-vehicle safety technologies to fulfil enforcement functions. Although policy documents often imply close correlation between enforcement, compliance and safety – in part, as a counter to accusations that enforcement is rather more concerned with revenue generation – there is a noticeable reluctance among policy makers and auto manufacturers to exploit in-vehicle safety systems for enforcement applications. From a technical perspective t
    Read More

Highlighted Content