More than a half of fines issued to foreigners not paid

  • 2013-04-17

TALLINN- The Estonian police's West Prefecture issued 2,050 fines for traffic violations to foreign nationals in 2012; only 968 of them were settled, the Estonian Public Broadcasting reports.

Sander Peremees, the head of the prefecture’s traffic department, said the same rules apply for Estonian citizens as to others - if fines are not paid, the police turn to a bailiff.

“But there is no point in sending fines issued to foreigners to bailiffs, as they don’t have the ability to rein them in. If a foreigner has not settled a fine and is caught again by the Estonian Police, and if the offense can be cause for arrest, then we don’t hesitate to use that right,” said Peremees.

Non-EU offenders have to pay the fine if they ever wish to re-enter Estonia in the future, as it is checked on the border, but with the European Union (EU) citizens it is more complicated.

In other countries, such as Lithuania, police have more reach, having the power to confiscate the vehicle’s certificate of registration after issuing a fine, to be returned only after the fine has been paid.

As reported, March traffic statistics were quite favorable in Estonia this year.

In the first quarter of last year, 29 people died in traffic. This year's death rate was the smallest of the past ten years, Estonian Police and Border Guard Board deputy director general Tarmo Miilits said that there hasn’t been a month in statistics before when traffic hasn’t claimed any lives.