Thousands of drivers pursued over foreign speeding fines
British drivers heading to the continent this summer are being warned not to ignore speed limits and other rules of the road amid a sharp rise in the number of motorists being pursued by foreign police forces.
Previously it was estimated that up to half a million UK drivers went unpunished for speeding each year in France alone, because they thought once they were back home they were untouchable.
But a new system called Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), which the UK signed up to two years ago, which means it is much easier for drivers from one country to be prosecuted by the authorities in another.
A foreign police force can apply to the UK authorities for the driver information and under the MLA system the Driver and Vehicle Licence Agency (DVLA) must provide them.
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