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. However 2010 is fast approaching and momentum to introduce increased enforcement is sorely needed in most EU member states. 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. As regards drink driving, only one country has changed its legislation to introduce random breath testing, namely Ireland. Drink driving checks in most of the countries surveyed have increased but not nearly enough to combat drink driving effectively. All EU countries have seen a change this year in seat belt and child restraint legislation introduced through the transposition and implementation of a new Directive. Its enforcement has caused some challenges to the enforcers such as ensuring the right child restraint for the right child. The level of seat belt wearing is increasing but the number of countries engaging in intensive seat belt and child restraint enforcement is still in the minority. 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. If current progress continues the EU will only reach a 35% reduction and not 50% by 2010 as planned in its recommendation on enforcement (EC 2004). The European Commission committed itself to proposing a Directive in case this objective was not achieved. The time is now ripe to adopt such a Directive to gain the necessary momentum needed to reach the 2010 target. (Author/publisher)
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