Traffic fines in the European Union
Harmonizing domestic traffic laws with the European legislative context remains an aspiration, but steps are currently being taken to implement a current legislation. Traffic fines in the European Union remain a subject for debate, especially since the May EU directive that was supposed to facilitate the exchange of information on European drivers between EU member states was rejected by the The European Court of Justice.
In this context, traffic fines throughout Europe remain subject to “private” inter-state understandings and treaties, at least for the moment.
This legislative loop is quite favorable for international traffic offenders, whose traffic fines (resulted from breaking traffic laws on international soil) were lost in a sea of paperwork and ultimately annulled in most of the cases.
It is highly likely that the European Union will retake discussions regarding the information exchange between the police bodies of member states, as the aim of decreasing the number of mortal accidents in the European space remains a priority. For the moment, however, the situation remains the same, but the agreements between states stay in force, so serious offenders will not go unpunished after all.
The legislative initiative will be reformulated and re-voted in the foreseeable future. The concrete purpose is to make international drivers drive slower, more carefully while transiting the territories of other European Union member states. The offences in cause were: speeding, ignoring to use the safety belt, red crossing, driving under the influence of alcoholic drinks or drugs, lack of the safety helmet for motorcyclists, driving on forbidden roads and the illegal use of phones while driving.
Nevertheless, driving responsibly remains a moral… well, responsibility for all of us, whether we drive on local soil or abroad. Lest we should delve into philosophical reflections on human nature and its faults, we remind you that international car rental remains easy.
