In the context of the European Union, where the free movement of individuals and vehicles is an undeniable reality, the violation of traffic rules perpetrated in a Member State can raise legitimate concerns regarding the notice and payment of the corresponding sanction. In circumstances where the offender is unaware of the notice, it is pertinent to inquire whether they can be held responsible and required to fulfill the demanded payment.

-  Responsibility and notice:

The responsibility for road traffic offenses in the European Union unequivocally falls upon the offenders, regardless of their citizenship or place of residence being the country where the offense occurred or another Member State. By committing an offense, the drivers submit themselves to the laws and regulations in force in the respective country.

The traffic violation notice is usually sent by post mail to the registered address of the vehicle. However, eventualities such as correspondence can get lost in the mail, outdated addresses, or other obstacles may inhibit the offender of being notified.

 - Consequences of non-receipt of notification and payment responsibility

The lack of notice receipt does not exempt the offender from the inherent responsibility to pay the fine. Once the authorities have made reasonable efforts to notify the transgressor, compliance with the penalty becomes imperative.

If the offender neglects to make the payment, the authorities can take additional measures, such as imposing additional fines, restrictions on license renewal, or even pursuing legal actions. It should be emphasized that even if the offender did not receive the notice, the responsibility for the offense remains and should be treated with due seriousness.

We are usually trusted with tasks for fines’ collection related to this field, and it is our responsibility as specialized lawyers in debt recovery to handle their enforcement. In the event of non-payment of the fine associated with the specific road traffic offense, we may proceed with legal actions.