UK motorists are becoming more frustrated by the number of foreign registered vehicles flouting the laws on our roads. The people of Kent are affected by this, just as much or more so than others due to the incoming traffic from Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
It has been common knowledge for a while that foreign registered vehicles do not have to pay the tolls for using the Dartford Crossing. This is because the vehicle registration details are not present on the number plate recognition system, so there is no way to enforce the charge.
it is about time there is equality on our roads
With the current speed restrictions on the M20, due to the roadworks, motorists are now finding that foreign vehicles are ignoring these too. There are average speed cameras all along the M20, but foreign registered vehicles are once again immune to any penalties. They are exceeding the average speed, which is nt only breaking the law but is a huge safety issue for fellow road users.
We recently spoke to one local road user “I was driving on the M20 and was sticking to the 50mph limit. This lorry came speeding up behind me and tried to get me to go faster. by tailgating. When I did not accelerate they sped past me and continued at speed. They must have been doing at least 70mph”.
With the lack of any police patrol cars seen on our motorways, these foreign vehicles seem to do as they wish. If the British public have to obey the rules of the road, then so should everyone. If we travel abroad then we still have to follow their rules, so the same should apply.
It is about time that instant fines are given out and the system should be set up so that fines can be applied to vehicles before they leave our ports. These systems are all computerised, so it should not be difficult to match a fine to the number plate of a vehicle as it enters our ports.
There should also be a seperate area for foreign vehicles to pay charges on our toll roads. It may need to be a manned toll booth, but surely the fees would pay for the costs. It may cause some delays for these vehicles, but that should be the price for using a foreign registered vehicle on UK roads.They do not pay road tax, therefore they do not contribute to the upkeep to our road system, so this is a small price to pay.
