Foreign drivers face £900 fines in clampdown on accidents
Legislation is set to be introduced which would see foreign drivers fined by as much as £900 for breaking traffic laws, The Times reports.
If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card their vehicles will be clamped until they pay — and they will face an additional £80 release fee.
The law set to be introduced next month, will also apply to British residents who cannot prove they have a valid address in Britain.
The fines will be described officially as ‘deposits’ when introduced on April 1 because the money would be refunded if the driver went to court and was found not guilty.
The move designed to address the problem of foreign drivers evading justice, is also intended to reduce the number of accidents involving foreign vehicles. Foreign drivers are rarely prosecuted because police cannot take action against them if they fail to respond to a summons. Instead, officers often merely give verbal warnings.
Three million foreign-registered vehicles enter Britain each year. Foreign vehicles are 30 per cent more likely to be in a crash than a British-registered vehicle, according to research by London Councils. The number of crashes caused by foreign vehicles increased by 47 per cent between 2002 and 2007.
To find out more, read The Times article.
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