Caught speeding in Dunkerque, license taken away....

[dannyDC2]

Afternoon all,

I come to you with another problem!

Driving home from Germany yesterday I got a bit lost in Dunkerque trying to find the car ferry. I ended up in the commercial bit where I shouldn't have been and was running late to catch the 4 o'clock sailing.

I was driving down an empty road in the middle of nowhere at speed when two police officers walked into the road, one of which was pointing his gun in my direction. The other was signalling me to pull over.

Long story short the road was a 50kmh limit, I was doing 147kmh on his radar gun. Why the road was a 50kmh limit I do not know, must be simply to make money from silly s like me who want to stay at the Nurburgring for an extra hour and end up rushing to the ferry. No civilians would be anywhere near, the road was as wide as a bypass in England. Had I known it was a 50 I probably wouldn't have been doing 3 times that.

Anyway they've took my license off me and banned me from driving in France. Luckily I managed to get in touch with my mates who were waiting for me at the port (so lucky that they didn't board), so one of them was allowed to drive my DC2 back to the port for me. I was escorted to a cash machine to give them 750 euros for the speeding offence. I was told my license would be sent to the embassy and then sent back into England but I wasn't entirely sure what that translates to.

What I'd like to know is if anyone has had a similar experience before, and if so, is it possible that my UK driving license is in danger?

[dannyDC2]

Breadvan72 said:

Anyone who cannot spell licence deserves a driving ban, a 750 Euro fine, and to be shot, so boo to les Flics for only completing two out of three.

Lisense

[dannyDC2]

Hi said:

This happened to a friend I was travelling with back in 2009 (so things might have changed since then) but they banned him for a month in France and kept his photocard licence. They said after a month they would post it back to him but it never turned up so he just asked for a replacement from the DVLA saying he had lost his.

I haven't been given a time with regard to how long the ban is. I wont be going back for a while anyway.

[dannyDC2]

Breadvan72 said:

Good job, too; La Patrouille de Ponctuation are medieval in their severity.

I don't understand what you are saying Mr fancy pants.

[dannyDC2]

charltjr said:

90mph in a 30mph zone? Ooof!

When you say it like that it sounds terrible doesn't it. If it was down the high street or in the suburbs I would understand their presence, but they were just there to make money.

[dannyDC2]

The Spruce goose said:

One thing I seen from a few posts on here and this, is you need to slow down and take a look at your driving. 91 Mph in a 30 Mph is pretty stupid whatever your excuse and I am sure in the UK you would be looking at getting banned.

In the UK a deserted bypass between a port and a main road wouldn't be a 30mph limit it would be a NSL. Never done 90 down a bypass before? Arse.

[dannyDC2]

HantsRat said:

Post a streetview link of the road.

I've tried but streetview hasn't been down there.

[dannyDC2]

Found it.

This was the road:
https://goo.gl/maps/uJiJfL31mZ72

[dannyDC2]

Stickyfinger said:

dannyDC2 said:

I've tried but streetview hasn't been down there.

LOL....then it's no BYPASS is it ?
bypass MY ARSE

I never said it was a bypass. I don't even know what is french for bypass. I was just likening it to a long straightish road like we have back home.

[dannyDC2]

Stickyfinger said:

dannyDC2 said:

In the UK a deserted bypass between a port and a main road wouldn't be a 30mph limit it would be a NSL. Never done 90 down a bypass before? Arse.

dannyDC2 said:

I ended up in the commercial bit where I shouldn't have been and was running late to catch the 4 o'clock sailing.

I was driving down an empty road in the middle of nowhere at speed when two police officers walked into the road,

Maybe express yourself better ? (and stop fracking crying about it....) You were lucky to get your car away

Edited by Stickyfinger on Tuesday 13th October 14:15

I'm not crying about anything, I just wanted to see if anyone else has had similar and if their UK licences ( ) were affected.

[dannyDC2]

Stickyfinger said:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.0090687,2.252073...

Maybe look about a bit when driving ?......but there is NO chance EVERY of that being a road where 90mph is allowed now is it ?

That is the car park where they pulled me over. As you can see there aren't any signs warning me of my speed prior to that.

90mph isn't "allowed" anywhere but the autobahn, but every now and then you've got to push on.

[dannyDC2]

hman said:

I would apply now for a new licence and class your one as lost.

I think that's what I'll be doing, but first, PH's finest want a fight!

[dannyDC2]

Stickyfinger said:

think about what you just said.....have a hot chocolate and then go out and get the form/phot's from the post office.

You're acting like I'm complaining about getting caught speeding. I'm not. I'm asking what will likely happen to my licence. I take full responsibility of what happened, it was my fault.

No matter how stupid that speed limit is.

[dannyDC2]

HantsRat said:

You mean this sign?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.0127645,2.252501...

If you start from the top of the road you can see there isn't a sign until the very end. Admittedly street view only goes to the junction half way up so you'll have to trust me

[dannyDC2]

Dog Star said:

147 in a 50 - good effort!

No use moaning about it - it's the law.

I got done in 2005 for 188 in a 130 (which was rounded down to 171 (they have to do that)) for which I got a 135 euro fine and a two month French ban. Ban is for over 170 - so one km less and I'd have just had the fine.

I never ever got my license sent back, but just got a new one in the UK. One thing I did do was to wait til the day after the French ban expired so that I could in all truth not tick the box on the D1 form that says "are you CURRENTLY banned in another European country" - the word "currently" being key.

I also got a letter asking me for 135 euro which was actually for the original amount, nothing to do with a "deposit", which I'd already paid. I filed in the bin. No problems since.

I now make sure that I never go more than 30kmh over the limit on the autoroutes.

Glad to hear some others have had similar experiences. Cheers.

[dannyDC2]

Breadvan72 said:

anothernameitist said:

Report your license as lost ...

...

I give up, I really do.

[dannyDC2]

AA999 said:

I guess the best thing to do is is laugh it off and make an effort to not spend any money in france in the future.
[/footnote]

Yeah that is what I will be doing. Some people had mentioned Kent Police taking me to court on Facebook hence the thread - glad no one else had said that.

[dannyDC2]

With regard to getting 750 euro out at once, yes that was a pain in the arse. I had to go to 2 different banks, get 500 out on my HSBC debit card and then withdraw 250 on my Halifax Clarity credit card. Fortunately I phoned up the bank yesterday and they wavered any fees due to the emergency. Still about a 3% fee overall so about 20 euro in fees.

[dannyDC2]

MrBarry123 said:

Good effort OP - the irony of course being you probably missed your ferry?

Still, better to have tried and failed than never have tried at all.

Yep, had to re arrange to the 8 o'clock crossing costing another £80 for me and my mate (he had a trailer, I paid obviously).

Didn't end up getting home while after 1:30am, started a new job the day after. Haven't mentioned it!

[dannyDC2]

Davidonly said:

bad company said:

Jarcy said:

Sometimes I think I'd reading Mumsnet and not Pistonheads.
Any true PH fan, who has petrol running through his veins, would sympathize.
Any true PH fan, upon looking at that stretch of open deserted road, would say in all honesty, "yeap, late for ferry, I'd have done 90".
Please stop being sanctimonious to anyone who asks for advice. Please don't offer retrospective advice.
The deed is done. The Op fessed up. All he wants to know is what will happen regarding his licence. (BTW 'licence' comes up as misspelt on the PH edit window, where as 'license' doesn't)

Well said that man.

Couldn't agree more

Thanks chaps.

Honestly, I don't often speed. My daily is a diesel A4 so I just plod along looking for MPG not MPH. Onwards and upwards...