Traffic Law Enforcement across the EU

Time for a Directive

ETSC’s new publication “Traffic Law Enforcement across the EU – Time for a Directive” responds to the European Commission’s Public Consultation “Respecting the Rules: Better Road Safety Enforcement in the EU” published in November 2006.

Only with a Directive the EU will be sure to introduce the minimal requirements to achieve high standards in the enforcement of legislation as set out in the Commission’s Recommendation on traffic law enforcement (EC 2004). A legislative proposal should also include the cross border dimension and envisage legislation to ensure that drivers respect the traffic law in whichever EU country they are driving.

Traffic law enforcement measures in the three areas speeding, drink driving and seatbelt use, in combination with awareness raising activities, are the most important instruments to reach the EU target of halving annual road deaths by 2010.

The first part of the report surveys changes and trends in 2005 and 2006. In the area of speeding, fixed camera networks continue to be rolled out in different countries. As a result of this, average speeds are coming down, but average compliance still tends to be way above the speed limit and this remains the main cause of all traffic deaths in the EU.

The second part of the report presents an update of road traffic enforcement in ten of the Member States. These countries aim to represent a geographical spread as well as different levels of road safety and include Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.