Foreign Drivers Avoid £10m Of Fines

180,000 fines go unpaid because Government cannot track foreign drivers

By Oli S / Monday, 30 June 2008 / Loading comments

Foreign drivers are dodging 180,000 speeding and parking fines every year because the police can’t trace them, it has been reported. While countries like France fine British drivers on the spot the UK is having trouble getting foreigners to pay up.

The Sunday Telegraph reports that in 15 police forces drivers from overseas failed to pay 27,000 speeding fines a year, which means an estimated 80,000 unpaid fines across the UK. Added to this is an estimated 54,000 unpaid parking fines in 36 local authorities, pointing to a nationwide total of 105,000 unpaid fines.

Overall it is thought around £10million worth of fines are going uncollected because police, councils and speed camera authorities cannot obtain the details of foreign drivers. In countries such as France all drivers can be hit with on-the-spot fines of up to £200 and motorists are often taken to cash machines to get the money.

Drivers have even been known to have their cars confiscated until they cough up the money. It is said that there are 140,000 foreign-registered vehicles on Britain’s roads at any one time and around three million enter the country every year. Polish vehicles are said to be the largest group which account for 36% of foreign vehicles.

The statistics were apparently released as part of a Freedom of Information request and follows an announcement of a cross-border enforcement plan by the European Commission which should make it easier to enforce fines. This means that British drivers will be more likely to receive a fine in the post if they are snapped by a camera overseas.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: ‘The Government is giving the DVLA new powers to obtain driver data from overseas, which they can pass to councils to help them pursue unpaid penalties. We are also cracking down on foreign drivers who drive dangerously by bringing in new measures to enable the police to take on-the-spot fines and, if necessary, immobilise their vehicles.’