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British motorists to be fined for speeding abroad
By KIRSTY WALKER, Daily Mail

20:32pm 18th June 2006

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British motorists are to be pursued for parking tickets and speeding fines incurred on the Continent, under new plans being drawn up the Government.

Ministers have given the DVLA permission to pass the details of British drivers to foreign police forces so they can chase offenders for payment of any criminal penalty after they have returned home.

From March next year, the DVLA will also be able to send out tickets on behalf of foreign countries - although they will not be able penalise British motorists by adding points to our licences.

Until now, British drivers have been able to drive abroad with relative impunity from cameras and parking wardens - although thousands are still hit with on-the-spot fines if caught speeding by police.

Under the new laws, all EU member states will be legally bound to follow up unpaid fines if requested by another member state. But it is only expected to apply to fines over 70 euros - about £50.

Ministers are currently in the processing of reaching agreements with other EU countries to issue a blanket ban on drivers convicted of the most serious motoring offences.

The new moves also mean that thousands of foreigners who commit offences in this country will not escape justice.

In London alone, it is estimated that foreign drivers owed around £40 million last year in unpaid congestion charge fines, parking tickets and bus lane tickets.

Drivers registered in France were the most common offenders. Other countries with a high rate of unpaid tickets include Germany, Ireland, Poland and Lithuania.

Driving campaigners last night welcomed the plans for EU countries to work together to penalise criminal motoring offences, but raised concerns about the practice of handing over driver details for more minor offences - such as parking.

Paul Watters, head of road safety at the AA Motoring Trust, said: "We have concerns about what language civil penalties will be issued in and whether British drivers will have the same access to appeal as they would in their own country.

"However, there is not much to argue about when it comes to criminal motoring offences. We have got to make EU roads safer and British drivers should follow laws in other countries and should be penalised if they do not comply with them."

Sheila Rainger, campaigns manager for the RAC foundation, warned: "Once the DVLA starts sharing its databases with other EU countries, there is an issue over who will have access to it. There needs to be strict controls in place.

"However, it is good news that foreign drivers will not longer be able to get away with motoring offences in this country. There are increasing numbers of people who are registering their cars abroad to avoid fines and penalties. But that is not fair on everyone else."

Shadow local government minister Eric Pickles said "Drivers have already been hit by speed camera fines and soaring parking charges under Labour.

"Now they are fleecing them even more by helping zealous foreign penpushers to hunt them down."

Ministers are currently in the processing of reaching agreements with other EU countries to issue a blanket ban on drivers convicted of the most serious motoring offences.