UK wary of EU speeding laws

The government will not ratify an EU deal that would see details of British motorists being made available to police forces across Europe, according to a report.

A report in The Daily Telegraph claims that police from 27 EU states would be able to access databases with motorists' details after they had been caught committing an offence, including drink or drug driving, jumping traffic lights, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, using a mobile phone while driving or cyclists riding without a helmet.

Read Steve Sutcliffe's blog about the proposed scheme

The proposals outline plans for motorists being given on-the-spot fines by foreign police forces; if they refuse, their details would then be accessed on the databases and passed onto their home police force. The system would also apply to foreign motorists committing one of the aforementioned offences on UK roads.

The government's road safety minister, Mike Penning, told The Telegraph that the government felt "there is still more work to be done on these proposals to address a number of important issues".

"For example, there are questions still to be answered over the costs of such a scheme to the UK, and the different legal responsibilities placed on vehicle owners and drivers across the EU,” he said.

The AA is also not happy with the proposals, with a spokesman telling The Telegraph: "There are different standards of speed enforcement on the Continent. I can't see the DVLA wanting to have an extra layer of bureaucracy. Who is going to pay?

"Will the owner of the car always be liable? The owner is not always the person who is driving. Can we be sure that the cameras are working properly? Will they always read the numberplate accurately and what is the right of appeal?"