(Elbil24): Many Norwegians have experienced receiving a fine in the mail a few weeks after they have been on holiday abroad, because they have committed a traffic offense outside Norway’s borders, typically driving too fast past a speed camera.
Now the European Parliament has hammered through a new decision which means that you can be fined for far more traffic offenses abroad. This was adopted with 570 to 36 votes.
Will introduce mandatory health checks
The background for the proposal is that as much as 40 per cent of offenders get away with it, and a desire for the countries to now help each other to a greater extent in finding foreign drivers who have committed a traffic offence.
Can be claimed into the home country
And now you should be able to be taken for more. In addition to speeding, drinking or failing to stop at a red light, the European Parliament added, among other things, dangerous parking, dangerous overtaking, crossing a full line and collision.
One thing that will be new is that the collection of fines of over 70 euros (~NOK 800) can be taken over by the authorities of the country where the offender lives at the request of the country where the offense took place.
This costs 6000
Prohibited with private collection
The EU country where the traffic offense occurred will have 11 months from the date of the offense to issue a notice. The notice must contain the time and circumstances of the offence, as well as information on how the notice can be appealed.
In other words, you can receive a fine almost a year after you committed the offence.
At the same time, it will be prohibited to entrust the collection of fines to private companies, which has been a practice in many countries. However, this will only apply two years after the regulations are introduced.
– In order to increase traffic safety, the EU countries must cooperate and have effective tools to punish traffic offenders from other countries. The updated rules will help to achieve this, but are also beneficial for drivers, who will receive information within a strict time frame, in a language they understand and with a description of the complaints process. The ban on the use of private companies to collect fines will effectively protect drivers against fraud and leakage of personal data, says Polish Kosma Zlotowski in the European Parliament.
Once the Council of the Union has formally approved the decision, the member states will have three years to implement them.
