Europe-wide enforcement of traffic offences committed abroad delayed!
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Europe-wide enforcement of traffic offences committed abroad delayed!
A recent decision of the European Court has delayed the date from which penalties for road traffic offences committed abroad can be enforced in your home country.
In support of the idea that there should be cross-border enforcement of road traffic offences, it is stated that whilst only 5{ba3215b0bf35eaeb06be458b3396ffbfc50bb9db10c9ff1594dfc3875e90ea48} of vehicles on the road are registered to a foreign country, they commit 15{ba3215b0bf35eaeb06be458b3396ffbfc50bb9db10c9ff1594dfc3875e90ea48} of the road traffic offences – mainly speeding, going through traffic signals or the use of a mobile phone.
At the current time, there is no co-operation between European enforcement authorities that would allow this to occur; the legislation was purportedly bought in to allow this source of revenue to be opened. However, due to wrangling between the European Parliament and the European Commission, the United Kingdom retained an opt out. The European Court has now decided that the governing legislation was enacted under the wrong section, so that the United Kingdom no longer has an opt out.
However, the reason for the delay is not just so the lawmakers in Brussels can get it right, it is because of European elections. It is envisaged that when the European Parliament reforms, there will be more pressing needs than raising the odd fine from motorists, and it will be a year before speed cameras and traffic light cameras need to be watched as closely in Europe as over here. (After all Mr Gatsonides who gave the cameras their name was a European.)
An Analysis of the reason for delay can be found here