A new law has come into force setting rules that allow information about traffic violations to be transferred between EU member-states and make it easier to identify and notify the transgressing driver.
Therefore, any unlawful activity in an EU country other than the one the car is registered in can result in penalties.
Data on vehicles and their owners is exchanged through a computer programme named Euracaris, which in Portugal is managed by Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (Institute for Registration and Notary Affairs).
Speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, not using seatbelts and transporting children without the appropriate seating are some of the examples of transgressions that can lead authorities to request information on the driver.
Only the UK, Ireland and Denmark chose not to implement the directive, and therefore the measures are not applicable in these countries.
The directive is not aimed at the harmonisation of laws on traffic violations in all EU countries – which would make fines equal in all member-states – but rather intends to identify the transgressors and their violations in their countries.
In this column, Portuguese consumer watchdog DECO informs readers of various interesting issues and laws affecting consumer decisions.
