The European Parliament approved a new directive in which serious traffic offences committed while in another EU country will not be unpunished. The text, previously agreed with the Council, will improve road safety and make all offenders equal before the law, including those living outside the country where they commit an offence.

EU Member states will soon be swapping car registration details regularly to track down drivers who have committed serious traffic offences while in another EU country. The offences covered by the new rules are speeding, driving under the influence of drink or drugs, not wearing seatbelts, going through a red light, not wearing crash helmets, using bus lanes and other banned thoroughfares and illegal use of mobile phones or other communication equipment while driving.

Once the directive is formally approved by the Council, Member States will then have 24 months to apply the new rules, except for Ireland, the UK and Denmark, which are remaining outside the system for now. Actually, Transport Council meeting held in December 2010 considers that the controls and sanctions for breaches of road traffic rules should be enhanced, as they remain one of the most effective means to reduce the number of accidents and victims on the roads.

The details of the driver or holder of the vehicle registration certificate to the authorities of the country where the offence took place by the EU Member States through EUCARIS system. These will then send the offender a strictly private registered letter informing him/her of the offence committed as well as any punishment due, appeal procedures and legal consequences. Any fine and payment method will be based on the law of the state where the offence occurred. Parliament also approved tighter data privacy and for files on offenders to be compulsorily deleted once a case is closed.