UK falls behind in EC enforcement check
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• by Karen Miles Germany has the most effective vehicle regulation enforcement regime in the European Union, leaving the UK trailing way behind.
This verdict comes from the European Commission in Brussels, which is investigating the differences in CV enforcement among member states.
Each year the Germans check 4% of the truck drivers on their roads—substantially more than the 1% minimum demanded oral! the EU's 15 member states.
Germany's location between eastern Europe and the rest of the EU means large numbers of law-breaking operators are caught on its roads.
The French enforcement authorities check just 1.5% of its drivers a year, but the French back up their checks with the stiffest penalties in the EU, which are said to act as an effective deterrent to law breakers.
Ireland also performs well, making checks on around 4% of drivers. The UK is substantially behind with 1.5%, but ahead of Spain, Luxembourg and the Netherlands which each check 1%.
Once enforcement data has been collated from all EU coun
oun tries
tries the EC will publish a report into the discrepancies. This could had to the introduction of a directive demanding tougher minimum levels of enforcement activity.
• In the UK the Vehicle Inspectorate has just published its 1999/2000 Business Plan which includes a commitment to increase the number of detailed and time-consuming drivers' hours investigations. In the next year the VI expects to check 215,000 CVs for road traffic offences, while 65,000 HGVs will be check-weighed. Some 230,000 CVs and cars are due to be checked for roadworthiness.