Of all the advice being dished out in UK newspapers about how to cope with the fall-out from Brexit, the best so far has got to be this: drive extra carefully when motoring in other EU countries from now on, because the cops will be out for revenge against Brits.
What Ian Crowder of the Automobile Association actually said was: “Minor indiscretions may have been overlooked in the past but it is now even more important to abide by the letter of the law if you don’t want to be stopped and fined by EU traffic police”.
I assume he means traffic police in EU countries, because there is no “EU traffic police”, at least not yet, although it’s such an obvious idea that I’m surprised it wasn’t a bone of contention in the referendum campaign.
However, there was once a direct link between the EU and driving offences, and my personal experience of it was entirely positive and heartening.
It was the Spring of 1986 and I was piloting the family Meade through Spain when I overtook a car on a bit of road where it was illegal. A traffic cop on a motorbike saw me, and pulled me over. He was very polite but insisted that he would have to give me an on-the-spot fine.
Then he said: “But it’s your lucky day, because to mark my country’s accession to the EEC this year , we are reducing all motoring fines against nationals of other Member States by 25% for a limited time only!”. I thanked him profusely, welcomed him to the club and paid up with the pleasure that comes from feeling you’ve got something of a bargain. Happy days!
What Ian Crowder of the Automobile Association actually said was: “Minor indiscretions may have been overlooked in the past but it is now even more important to abide by the letter of the law if you don’t want to be stopped and fined by EU traffic police”.
I assume he means traffic police in EU countries, because there is no “EU traffic police”, at least not yet, although it’s such an obvious idea that I’m surprised it wasn’t a bone of contention in the referendum campaign.
However, there was once a direct link between the EU and driving offences, and my personal experience of it was entirely positive and heartening.
It was the Spring of 1986 and I was piloting the family Meade through Spain when I overtook a car on a bit of road where it was illegal. A traffic cop on a motorbike saw me, and pulled me over. He was very polite but insisted that he would have to give me an on-the-spot fine.
Then he said: “But it’s your lucky day, because to mark my country’s accession to the EEC this year , we are reducing all motoring fines against nationals of other Member States by 25% for a limited time only!”. I thanked him profusely, welcomed him to the club and paid up with the pleasure that comes from feeling you’ve got something of a bargain. Happy days!
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