The present document is deliverable 1 (D1)‘Enforcement needs on European roads’ prepared for ESCAPE (Enhanced Safety Coming from Appropriate Police Enforcement). The document addresses the following issues: The extent of non-compliance with traffic laws in EU countries; The organization and performance of Traffic Law Enforcement (TLE) systems; The views of practitioners on needs and issues of TLE; The special needs of CEE countries; The acceptance of new approaches, technologies and tools by TLE professionals; The extent of public support for TLE. Official records of driving offences, drivers’ self- reported violations and systematic observations of traffic behaviour all show a large incidence of non- compliance with traffic regulations, in all countries. The model of deterrence, on which traffic policing is currently based, is certainly not functioning well. There are many variations in the way traffic policing is organized in different countries and how the legal system handles violations. Countries in Europe invest about 10% of their total policing resources into traffic policing. Data on police effort indicators, such as patrolling hours, number and type of checks and citations, suggest that the large differences among countries reflect not only the nature of non- compliance behaviour in a country but mainly the strategy of TLE and the efficiency of its implementation. Drink-driving, speeding, non-use of safety devices, behaviour of young drivers, dangerous or aggressive behaviour in traffic and handling repeat offenders (recidivism) are the compliance problems that TLE officials are concerned about most. Cross border traffic was singled as an emerging enforcement issue, particularly by CEE officials. TLE professionals believe they need better legal and administrative supports for effective enforcement. Technology, office automation, management tools (such as performance indicators and monitoring non- compliance) could improve efficiency and effectiveness of TLE. Automatic camera enforcement is attractive to many police forces; however, this type of enforcement created new issues and challenges- legal, technical and operational. Public support in the EU for stronger safety legislation and for traffic policing is generally high. (Author/publisher) For an overview off all working papers and deliverables of the ESCAPE project, see http://virtual.vtt.fi/virtual/proj6/escape/deliver.htm
Samenvatting