The European Union aims to curb cross-border traffic crimes with stronger identification and penalties
In 2019, about 40% of cross-border traffic offenses in the European Union went unpunished because the offender could not be identified or funds could not be collected. The European Commission is pursuing a decisive strategy to end this impunity by ensuring that serious violations are enforceable across all Member States. The initiative envisions consequences that travel with the vehicle and are applicable wherever it is detected, including the withdrawal of the driver’s license when warranted. The effect would be EU-wide, not just limited to a single country.
This plan, announced by the Community Executive this week, aims to modernize European road-safety standards. The Commission emphasizes that making the owner of the vehicle easier to identify will enable accountability and deterrence, potentially reducing crime on European roads. The reform is being framed as a step toward greater cross-border cooperation in law enforcement and traffic enforcement.
Under current rules, license revocation can occur only for offenses committed in the issuing Member State, even in cases of highly serious behavior. The proposal would allow EU-wide actions by permitting the suspension or withdrawal of a driver’s license by the issuing authority when the behavior qualifies as a grave violation, such as speeding, driving under the influence, or any incident resulting in death or severe injury.
The plan now moves into negotiations among European governments and the European Parliament. It also proposes strengthening national driver-records and expanding the role of national contact points to facilitate cooperation with supervising authorities investigating offenses. The objective is to clearly define what data must be exchanged and kept up to date to improve the speed and accuracy of identifying offenders. While the rate of cross-border offenses detected in foreign-registered vehicles varies across Member States, roughly 18% of speeding offenses are attributed to non-residents on average.
Data from the European Commission shows that in 2019, 14.5 million traffic crimes involved a vehicle registered abroad and an unknown driver. Of these, 8.2 million resulted in fines, while about 6.3 million went unpunished, often because offenders opted not to pay. This level of impunity fluctuates by country, with some nations like the Netherlands, Sweden, and Poland reporting better outcomes, and others such as Luxembourg, Latvia, Ireland, Spain, Estonia, and Hungary seeing higher impunity rates between 10% and 20%.
A road-safety focus on young drivers
The plan also targets the death toll on European roads with a long-term goal of zero fatalities by 2050, placing emphasis on younger drivers. It proposes allowing individuals to begin driving at 17, with a requirement to be accompanied by an adult until they turn 18. The European Commission notes that similar programs in Turkey and parts of Austria and Germany have reported positive safety outcomes, particularly in creating supervised driving experience for novices. The proposal seeks to extend this approach to professional driving, including truck licenses.
A two-year probation period and a standard set of rules for novice drivers are part of the proposal, along with zero tolerance for drink-driving. Member States could impose additional restrictions if needed. Supporters argue this is crucial because although young people make up a relatively small share of drivers, a substantial portion of fatal crashes involve drivers under 30. The plan also calls for adapting driver training and testing to account for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and users of mobility devices, to improve overall safety for all road users.
Another key element is a proposed EU-wide digital driver’s license card. This would simplify recognition of licenses across Member States and streamline processes for changing, renewing, or transferring licenses through online transactions. Achieving this will require agreeing on technical standards, interoperability, security, and interfaces with national systems for mobile licenses and their verification features.
In summary, the European Commission’s plan envisions stronger cross-border enforcement, enhanced data sharing among Member States, and modernized licensing frameworks aimed at younger drivers and all road users. If adopted, these changes would shape driving behavior and enforcement across Canada, the United States, and the broader transatlantic community seeking alignment on road-safety norms and criminal accountability in digital-era governance.