With Brexit, the agreement between EU countries to collect each other’s flash fines will also lapse. That most likely means that far fewer traffic fines will be sent back and forth. Britons will then go free in the EU, while travelers from the EU in the United Kingdom may be able to commit offenses with impunity.
The cross-border enforcement directive ends with Brexit. This directive was introduced in 2015 and allowed any EU country to fine a driver who committed a speeding offense in another EU country. Before that year, fines incurred in the UK were indeed rarely, if ever, on foreign doormats and that was undoubtedly the other way around. That situation now seems to be returning, at least for the time being.
This means that not only the British are still free for a traffic violation, but also that residents of an EU country do not have to expect fines from the island for the time being. The biggest blow seems to be for France. According to our colleagues at AutoExpress, more than 500,000 British drivers are fined annually for speeding in that country, amounting to more than € 60 million a year.
The British therefore expect that in France more use will be made of laser guns and a direct stop, so that the fine can be paid immediately. In the meantime, it is reported that work is being done on a new partnership that should make it possible again to collect each other’s fines. In addition, the British could adopt the model from Switzerland. This country is also not a member of the EU, but speeding offenses do occur to drivers from other countries. It is not known when this scheme will be introduced – if at all.