Fines over €70 will now follow drivers across borders, as Europe battles rising accident rates. Learn about Vision Zero, cross-border penalties, and the relentless hunt for offenders in this must-read update for all European drivers.
Credit: Shutterstock, Juan Carlos L. Ruiz
In an ambitious move, Spain’s DGT released its 2030 Road Safety Strategy Plan in 2022 to reduce the number of road deaths in the next eight years. But Spain isn’t the only country cracking down. Brussels is also determined to reduce Europe’s accident rates and is pushing for tougher penalties for drivers across the continent. For years, the European Union has been working on the Vision Zero project, a bold plan that aims to reduce road deaths to zero across the whole of Europe by 2050.
But despite this roadmap, things have been heading in the wrong direction, with accident rates increasing steadily over recent months in both Spain and across Europe. To make matters worse, as reported by Eurostat, traffic accident deaths in the EU started to increase for the first time in a decade in 2020 and have continued to increase ever since.
We’ve also seen more accidents locally, on the Costa del Sol. In 2023, Málaga recorded its worst road safety numbers in six years, with 38 deaths, placing it fifth in Spain for road accident fatalities.
Adding to this, social media continues to serve as a platform for thrill-seekers to share dangerous stunts, with law enforcement facing increasing challenges in curbing reckless behaviour. Police are investigating a shocking video showing a car tearing down the motorway at 300 km/h on the A-7 Costa del Sol as reckless driving spreads on social media.
A key measure from Brussels is the centralisation and standardisation of European driving regulations. This includes the creation of a single European driving licence, along with common procedures for enforcing fines across borders and coordinating licence suspensions.
This means that if a Spanish driver breaks the speed limit in France, the EU will establish a mechanism to enforce that fine in Spain, including point deductions and even the suspension of their licence.
Initially, it was suggested that only serious offences, such as speeding, running red lights, or drunk driving, would be chased down across borders. However, it now seems Brussels is intent on a hard-hitting policy of hunting down any fines over 70 euros, no matter where they were issued.
Cross-Border Fines Crackdown: No Escape for Drivers Under New EU Rules
Some fines for offences committed in France are already reaching Spanish drivers. Under the new system, there will be a collaborative procedure between the country where the offence occurred and the driver’s home country (within the EU), which will have to provide driver details and, if necessary, enforce the fine through legal means.
Whether driving in Spain or any other EU country, fines over 70 euros will now follow road users home.
