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EU data-sharing plan foreign hauliers and violations by  drivers who break road rules can’t get away.

The European Commission has said it is taking further measures to ensure that non-resident traffic violators do not remain anonymous on the roads.

According to the Commission, in 2019 about 40% of cross-border offenses were committed with impunity because:

-the offender was not identified

-because payment was not collected

Plans unveiled last week, however, would aim to address the issue through data sharing.

The Commission proposed to provide member states’ law enforcement agencies with access to national driver’s license registries.

In addition, the Commission wants to strengthen the role of the established national contact points so that they can better cooperate with law enforcement authorities involved in the investigation of offences. The commission claims that this will address current shortcomings in cooperation between member states when investigating crimes.

The Commission wants the range of road traffic offenses covered by the cross-border system to be expanded to include the following:

-failure to maintain a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front

-overtaking

-dangerous parking

-intersection of one or more solid white lines

-wrong and dangerous driving

-non-compliance with the rules for using emergency corridors

-using an overloaded vehicle

The Commission says these additions will help reduce impunity for such offences. It will improve the ability to punish offenders and ensure equal treatment of both resident and non-resident offenders.

Updated laws will help and ensure that the rights of people accused of traffic violations are respected. Non-residents retain the right to an effective remedy and a fair trial, to the presumption of innocence and to a defense.

These rights will be better guaranteed by provisions ensuring uniform content and delivery of penalty notices, enabling recipients of such notices to verify their authenticity. Also introducing a standard requirement to provide information to alleged offenders,” the Commission notes.

According to the plans, a dedicated IT portal will also give citizens the ability to easily access information on road safety rules in force in each member state and, in time, allow them to pay any fines directly. In addition, the rules will also be aligned with the EU rules on personal data protection (GDPR and LED).

In addition, a new system will be introduced to ensure that a person banned from driving in one Member State is also banned in every EU country. The proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council under the normal legislative procedure.