Number of driving offences could be reduced across Europe each year
Number of driving offences could be reduced across Europe each year
People committing motoring offences abroad may soon be reprimanded back in their own countries.
The European Traffic Police Network (Tispol) claim at least 400 lives each year could be saved in Europe if more was done to punish those people committing driving offences.
These new rules would then see drivers punished in their own countries for driving offences they committed while on holiday or away on business for example.
At present, most of these motoring offences will go unpunished as it is often impossible for the people to be pursued once they return home. Officials also claim that almost 5 per cent of traffic offences and 15 per cent of speeding offences are caused by foreign drivers.
Now, officials in Belgium say that they are hoping to introduce these new rules as a matter of priority.
The new rules would see police from different EU countries notifying each other of drivers who have committed offences. This means that if an offence is committed in Spain, police in France will be able to pursue the driver on behalf of the Spanish police authorities for example.
Speaking to the BBC, Ad Hellemons, Tispol director believes the process could be introduced quite easily.
He said: It just needs an agreement between the countries of the EU that they will all follow a certain procedure and that they will accept each others enforcement activities.
He also believes that enforcing new regulations across Europe will make drivers more aware of potential risks and will keep them safe on the roads.
He added: In the end it is directly about human lives and people being injured and that should be the number one priority that stands up front- and all the technical, legal stuff is, in fact, secondary.