No escape from EU traffic fines

Offenders escape fines because there is no contact with police

Drivers caught speeding outside their home countries will no longer avoid prosecution, under EU proposals.

At the moment only a small percentage of Europe's drivers who commit traffic offences abroad have to pay a penalty.

But EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot says cracking down on four offences will change road safety.

He says drink-driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and failing to stop at a red light are the main causes of deaths on the roads.

Some countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium have agreements to prosecute drivers who commit such offences while outside their home country.

ROAD SAFETY IN EU 2001: 54,000 deaths 2007: 43,000 deaths Foreign drivers make up 5% of road traffic Non-resident drivers caught speeding: 2.5-30%

But the commission argues that across the EU, most people captured by roadside cameras escape fines because there is no direct contact with police.

It says the proportion of non-resident drivers caught speeding can be as high as 30% in some EU countries.

Cameras are also used for catching people who drive through a red light or fail to wear a seatbelt.

"The impunity of these non-resident drivers creates a feeling of injustice," Mr Barrot said.

He is calling for an electronic network which would identify the owner of the vehicle and enable penalty notices to be sent to home addresses outside the country where the offence was committed.