Driving bans imposed abroad will apply across the EU

The European Transport Safety Council welcomes last night’s political agreement on EU-wide application of driving bans imposed outside of a driver’s home country.

EU citizens have long enjoyed the possibility of driving across country borders. But those who committed the most serious offences abroad and were banned from driving would face no equivalent sanction in their home country or other EU Member States.  

This long-awaited and welcome legal change sends a strong signal that dangerous driving abroad could now lead to an EU-wide driving ban.  

Regrettably, EU policymakers have decided that there will be several exemptions.  For example, those banned for excessive speeding abroad can be exempted from a home country and EU ban if they exceeded the speed limit by less than 50 km/h.  

Ellen Townsend, Policy Director of the European Transport Safety Council said:

“While EU-wide driving bans are necessary and welcome, it makes no sense that a driving ban for racing through a 30 km/h zone at 79 km/h in a foreign country would not automatically lead to an EU-wide ban. Speeding is one of the most important factors in road collisions, but this exemption suggests that policymakers still don’t take it seriously enough. All driving bans resulting from speeding should apply in other Member States without exceptions.”

Despite the prevalence of demerit point systems in many EU countries, the new legislation also does not foresee point penalties imposed in a foreign country applying across the EU. This was a missed opportunity, according to ETSC.