HUNDREDS of foreign drivers are avoiding speeding fines because they cannot be tracked down.

More than 740 speeding motorists who were driving cars that are registered abroad have been clocked by speed cameras in Sussex in a year but have not paid their fines.

The offenders include one driver clocked at 91 mph at Aldingbourne near Bognor – an offence which would have seen a locally, legally registered motorist handed a minimum £100 fine and three points on their licence.

In total, the misbehaving overseas motorists have avoided a total of £74,000 in fines in the 12 months up to September 3, according to figures obtained by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

The IAM report reveals that more than 23,000 speeding offences racking up £2.3 million worth of fines were not pursued because the offending overseas vehicles were not registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Neil Greig, the road safety charity’s director of policy and research, said: “The high numbers of overseas speeders on our roads show how important it is that the UK joins up with the rest of Europe to harmonise motoring offences and give the police extra powers to pursue dangerous drivers.

"Progress on this issue has been very slow and in the meantime thousands of drivers are avoiding fines and bans simply because their cars cannot be easily traced.”

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership said they are taking action when possible.

Phil Henty, operations manager, said: “Historically there hasn’t been a cross border mechanism available to enable a foreign registered vehicle keeper’s details to be obtained and the necessary notice of prosecution to be sent within the required 14 days (UK Law) of the offence being detected.

"Changes to EU Law on cross border enforcement earlier this year will help make it easier to identify and contact the registered keeper of vehicles from within the EU within the 14 day period in the same way it is in the UK.”

A DVLA spokesman said the Government was spearheading a new crackdown on foreign-registered vehicles using British roads illegally.

The trial starting next month will target the 350,000 foreign registered vehicles entering the UK and overstaying a six month exemption period without registering and licensing their cars between 2010 and 2013 at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £60 million every year in lost tax revenue.