“Road Policing” as European Union Challenge

Legal and operational aspects of police cooperation and cross border enforcement

Abstract

Traffic accidents are an enduring problem for traffic policing in the European Union and sto-len vehicles are a major crime fought traditionally by fighting vehicle crime. Road Policing is a new common concept referring to legal and operational aspects of police cooperation  and  cross-border enforcement. Road Policing shall have an effective role in reduction of numbers of  deaths  and  injuries  as  well  as  a  clear  impact  on  other  areas  of  concern  like  stolen  vehicle,  trafficking of illegal goods and human beings or illegal immigration. Introducing the concept of “linear  city”  helps  to  better  understand  the  real  importance  of  the  “road  safety  problem”and to determine effective enforcement tools. The adoption and exportation of common best practices on road safety promise a significant increase in effectiveness. The creation of a new Road Policing Agency is a proposition to the European Commission.