Aarhus, 30/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU27 formally adopted, on 29 September, the directive already endorsed by Parliament in July, which will make it an obligation for member states to exchange information relating to road offences. This measure should have a positive impact on road safety, preventing close to 5,000 deaths on the road annually in the Union, according to Commission estimates. Driving above the speed limit, under the influence of drugs or drink, not wearing a safety belt or burning a red light - all such offences cause the largest number of victims in Europe and appear on the list of offences for which drivers will be prosecuted when driving in a country other than their own. The exchange of information between member states will enable a member state in which an offence has been committed with a vehicle registered in another member state to identify the holder of the vehicle and investigate who is personally liable for the offence, so that sanctions may be enforced. Ireland, Denmark and the United Kingdom will not be following this provision for now. The other member states will have two years in which to transpose it into their national legislation. “We hope that preparations at national level to implement the new directive will run smoothly and that the new system will soon be in place”, said Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). (MD/transl.jl)