EU adopts new Directive to strengthen Cross-Border Enforcement of Road Traffic rules

On 16 Dec 2024, the European Commission welcomed the European Parliament and Council’s final adoption of the Directive to strengthen cross-border enforcement of road traffic rules.

While previous EU rules improved compliance with road safety regulations by non-resident drivers, a significant gap remains, with approximately 40% of cross-border offences going unpunished due to challenges in identifying offenders or enforcing fines. The newly adopted rules tackle these shortcomings by enhancing cooperation among Member States, streamlining offender identification, and facilitating fine enforcement.

Cooperation between national authorities will not only focus on the most common and serious offenses like speeding, drunk and drugged driving, but also on other hazardous behaviours:

1. not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front;
2. dangerous overtaking;
3. dangerous parking or stopping;
4. crossing one or more solid white lines;
5. driving in the wrong direction;
6. failing to respect the rules on the creation and use of emergency corridors or on giving way to emergency service vehicles;
7. using an overloaded vehicle;
8. not respecting the rules on road safety-related vehicle-access restrictions;
9. hit-and-runs;
10. not respecting the rules at railway level-crossings.

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