Proposal for a directive
Annex 1 a (new)
Annex Ia Part I: Orientations for guidelines for road safety policies Guidelines should be proposed at Union level in order to ensure consistent harmonisation of road signs and markings and of road traffic rules, as well as to make the direction of traffic uniform in all Member States, through comparable methods, practices, standards and frequency of controls. 1. The use of automatic checking equipment for speed on motorways, secondary roads and urban roads should be encouraged by Member States in particular on those sections of the road network where the number of accidents caused by speeding is higher than average. This use should try to ensure good geographical coverage of the territory of each Member State. 2. Specific efforts should be made regarding the number of speed checks using automatic equipment in Member States where the number of road fatalities is above the Union average or the fall in the number of road fatalities since 2001 is below the Union average. 3. As regards drink-driving, Member States should be encouraged to carry out random tests as a priority in places where, and at times when, non-compliance is frequent and the risk of accidents increases. Controls should be carried out on a significant percentage of drivers in any one year. 4. As regards the use of seat belts, intensive checking operations should be conducted during determined periods of time in any one year by Member States where a significant proportion of road users do not wear seat belts, in particular in places where, and at times when, non- compliance is frequent. 5. As regards failure to stop at a red traffic light, automatic checking equipment should be used primarily for junctions where the rules are often breached and a higher than average number of accidents occur as a result of driving through a red traffic light. 6. The exchange of good practices should be facilitated through the organisation of networks at Union level and through modern information technologies; in particular, Member States which are most advanced in the area of automatic checking should be encouraged to provide technical assistance to those Member States which so request. Part II: Criteria for enforcement procedures Common criteria for follow-up procedures should be followed by Member States in the case of non-payment of a financial penalty irrespective of the administrative or penal nature of the sanction and respecting Member States' laws and procedures. Such criteria should focus in particular on: – the transmission of the final decision between the different competent authorities of the Member State of the offence and the Member State of residence; – the recognition and the enforcement of the final decision, or non-enforcement of the decision. – the notification of the respective authorities of the enforcement decision.