Proposed EU ruling would mean fines are collected when drivers return home
Drivers who get parking tickets while on holiday will no longer get away with throwing them in the nearest rubbish bin, if new cross-European rules are adopted.
According to a report in The Times, draft regulations circulating among EU ministers state that all traffic fines of more than 70 euros should be collected by authorities in the driver’s home country. The newspaper states that European ministers are eager to crack down on multiple parking offenders, people who use their mobile phones while driving, and those who drive under the influence of alcohol.
While many have welcomed the suggestion, there has been criticism from some quarters. A spokesman for the German Automobile Association (ADAC) told The Times: “It puts the cart before the horse. The traffic regulations across Europe are often radically different, so how can you standardise the collection of fines when you don’t have standardised traffic rules?”
