European Union Creates International Speeding Ticket

[radlet6]

peterguk M500 said:

I presume the driver will still have to be identified, and I can't see S.172s working very well across Europe, and what about Court hearings? Would they be held in the country where the alleged offence was comitted, or the country of residence of the alleged driver (once he has been identified)?

This is a good point, how can a British Court prosecute someone for something that happened outside the UK? Surely the country wher the offence concerned would have to raise an extradition order?

Also how can the DVLA add points for an offence that happened outside the UK? This surely must require a major chane in the law?

In addition we have a system whereby the NIP has to arrive within two weeks of the offence - I can quite easily see foriegn tickets taking longer to arrive - thus under UK law can we claim the ticket to be no longer valid?

[Fort Jefferson]

catso said:

The France/Switzerland thing has been ongoing for some time I understand, some kind of long-time feud.

and has nothing to do with the European Union, as Switzerland isn't in it.

[paul.deitch]

Cousin that was living in Netherlands, got speeding tickets in Switzerland. Then decided to go and live there, had to pay.

[Mill Wheel]

The French take points OFF the license for motoring offences!
Speeding = TWO points removed from the 12 points you started off with.
Once you have lost all points, you can still drive a moped below 50cc (the ones which don't need a reg. plate) or a little Axiam car - the ones with an engine the size of a lawn mower - without your license.

According to the bumf on the treaty, parking and speed-camera fines higher than €70 will be passed to authorities in drivers' home countries where, if they are not paid, prosecution will follow!
French police estimate that a quarter of speed offences in their country are carried out by foreign motorists.

Anglo-Info advice to drivers in France says this:

The European Driving Licence

The EU has worked to harmonise standards of the driving test and the appearance of the driving licence so that the licence issued in one country will be recognised by other member states. All driving licences issued since 1 January 1983 conform with the Community model, but they may be in paper or plastic form and can look quite different.

In March 2006, the Council of Ministers approved plans to create a single European driving licence to replace the 110 different models currently in existence throughout the EU. The plan is to phase out national licences between 2012 and 2032. Ultimately all new licences will have much shorter periods of validity (10 years is proposed).
Driving Licence Issued by an EU or EEA Member State

A driver with an EU-member state driver's licence who takes up residence in France is not required to exchange the licence for a French one.

Note: French licence regulations apply to the non-French EU licence regarding:

* The period of validity of the licence (lifetime with no age-related medical examinations)
* Medical checks
* Minimum driver's age (18 years)
* Penalties and restrictions, including suspension, withdrawal and cancellation of the licence

It goes on to say:

Using a valid EU-issued licence in France

An EU-member state driver's licence is valid in France provided the following conditions are respected:

* The licence is valid
* The driver is old enough (16 years for licences category A1, B1; 18 years for licences A, B, C, E (B), E(C) and 21 years for D and E(D) licences)
* The licences mentions if a person wears prescription spectacles, or is licensed to drive and adapted vehicle
* The licence was not issued in exchange for a non-French complying non-EU licence (see "Driving Licence Issued Outside the EU or EEA" below)
* The driver has not been suspended or barred from driving in the country that issued the licence
* The licence was not issued while the person was barred from being issued a licence in France

An exchange becomes compulsory if the licence holder commits a driving offence in France - this is so that points can be retracted.
Licence addresses

While it is completely legal to use the EU-issued licence until it expires, it is not possible to change the address on the EU licence to an address outside of the issuing country. It is generally accepted within the rules that the address on the licence will be from the issuing country and may not be the drivers' actual residential address.

UK licence holders please note this statement from the DVLA:
Moving to another country
You don't need to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.

[jondude]

[quote=Mill Wheel]
According to the bumf on the treaty, parking and speed-camera fines higher than €70 will be passed to authorities in drivers' home countries where, if they are not paid, prosecution will follow!







I guess it will work then on a knock-for-knock basis.....the French et al send fines via our police who will gladly chase the money for the cost (to the taxpayer anyhow) of a translation of the French etc NIP, and we will send them our papers in return.

Idea being both countries get more or less the same amount of tickets and money in coffers.

Kinda seems easier to delay and run for the time out, though, as requests for more information will no doubt have to be passed to the French etc...although I guess all fines will just go to S172's to stop that?

Ah, I dunno. Still have a sneaking suspicion only the less well off will be paying these 'overseas' fines.