Question: EU Cars driving in UK - Fines & Speeding Tickets

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

I am looking for help from people with first hand experiences of EU drivers in the UK post brexit. I’ve spoken to my German lawyer about the situation and it’s unclear in legal precedent. Both the FAER (German drivers enforcement) and EUCARIS are ambiguous on the subject. From what we know, it seems points cannot be recognised and transferred across from the UK to EU, but has anyone had a fine, either UK drivers in the EU or EU drivers in the UK? The treaty situation is really unclear as far as I can tell

I am a British passport holder, but with a German drivers license (converted my UK documents after brexit - handed UK docs back to German authorities). I have a few speed related indiscretions on my German file - most spectacularly missing a limit change from
100kmh to 50kmh, and back to 100kmh again - resulting in a whopping fine. Hence I’m being careful, I’m in no danger of losing my license, let’s just call this an abundance of caution.

Before I come back to the UK, I want to check what people have experienced with laws regarding speed camera detectors? Specifically in car devices with linked phone apps. I’ve heard they could be useful in avoiding speedy issues but I want to understand if they are legal to use.

Also, what’s the take on actually getting caught by unmanned devices such as average speed cameras, mobile vans and fixed cameras. Has anyone got a fine, or any mail, either from
UK or EU authorities to their home address?

To be clear, I want to enjoy a civilised road trip in the UK, not break the land speed record. I just want to know how careful I should expect to be, given I’m used to much lower speed limits on B roads and much higher limits on motorways…

[NMNeil]

This might help
https://de.luko.eu/en/advice/guide/german-traffic-...

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

NMNeil said:

This might help
https://de.luko.eu/en/advice/guide/german-traffic-...

Thanks, I know the German regulations. The f**kers in Flensburg already gifted me 2 points for the privilege of knowing them. I’m concerned with what happens when I take my GT4 back to Blighty!

[EK3vtec]

I was caught twice by the same speed camera in Spain 18 months ago, I was in a rental car. The paperwork arrived in the U.K. really quickly due to being “grassed up” by the rental company.

Both cases €100 fine reduced to €50 for quick payment, no points on my U.K. licence as they cannot impose them.

So I’m assuming it would be similar if you were pinged by a camera in the U.K.? Even assuming the authorities here could be bothered to track you down….

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

EK3vtec said:

I was caught twice by the same speed camera in Spain 18 months ago, I was in a rental car. The paperwork arrived in the U.K. really quickly due to being “grassed up” by the rental company.

Both cases €100 fine reduced to €50 for quick payment, no points on my U.K. licence as they cannot impose them.

So I’m assuming it would be similar if you were pinged by a camera in the U.K.? Even assuming the authorities here could be bothered to track you down….

Thank you for the reply! Sounds like your rental car company had a nice system to avoid themselves becoming liable for your fine!

I think it’s probably fair to assume the UK could try and talk to the Germans. The thing is, even though most German people speak some English, bureaucrats only respond to requests in German. I suspect that if the UK bothered to try and find me, they would need to do so in German, and then I might get a fine.

So I guess unless I’m stopped by Plod, worst I’m going to get is a letter demanding money… Even if I were stopped, I’m tempted to play the “lost in translation” card and pretend to be German. The name Smith on my documents might raise eyebrows though ;-)

[vonhosen]

Dortmund_911_Fanboy said:

EK3vtec said:

I was caught twice by the same speed camera in Spain 18 months ago, I was in a rental car. The paperwork arrived in the U.K. really quickly due to being “grassed up” by the rental company.

Both cases €100 fine reduced to €50 for quick payment, no points on my U.K. licence as they cannot impose them.

So I’m assuming it would be similar if you were pinged by a camera in the U.K.? Even assuming the authorities here could be bothered to track you down….

Thank you for the reply! Sounds like your rental car company had a nice system to avoid themselves becoming liable for your fine!

I think it’s probably fair to assume the UK could try and talk to the Germans. The thing is, even though most German people speak some English, bureaucrats only respond to requests in German. I suspect that if the UK bothered to try and find me, they would need to do so in German, and then I might get a fine.

So I guess unless I’m stopped by Plod, worst I’m going to get is a letter demanding money… Even if I were stopped, I’m tempted to play the “lost in translation” card and pretend to be German. The name Smith on my documents might raise eyebrows though ;-)

If prosecuted in UK you would get points in the UK but they wouldn't be transferable to Germany.
If you are banned in Germany you wouldn't be able to drive in UK.
If you got banned in UK you would be able to drive in Germany.

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

vonhosen said:

If prosecuted in UK you would get points in the UK but they wouldn't be transferable to Germany.
If you are banned in Germany you wouldn't be able to drive in UK.
If you got banned in UK you would be able to drive in Germany.

There was an FOI request to the Met in London which is no longer online. It talked about creating a “Skeleton License” so in case you applied for a UK license in future, the points can follow you. That would depend though on either being physically stopped and asked for ID or the German authorities handing over information.

Information handover on traffic issues & driver licensing is provided under the EUCARIS treaty, and it’s unclear if the UK is still party to that. They were, but now who knows.

Rental companies know who you are and clearly they hand over the info when asked.Aside from using a rental car, has anyone been flashed either EU or UK and got a ticket?

[vonhosen]

Dortmund_911_Fanboy said:

vonhosen said:

If prosecuted in UK you would get points in the UK but they wouldn't be transferable to Germany.
If you are banned in Germany you wouldn't be able to drive in UK.
If you got banned in UK you would be able to drive in Germany.

There was an FOI request to the Met in London which is no longer online. It talked about creating a “Skeleton License” so in case you applied for a UK license in future, the points can follow you. That would depend though on either being physically stopped and asked for ID or the German authorities handing over information.

Information handover on traffic issues & driver licensing is provided under the EUCARIS treaty, and it’s unclear if the UK is still party to that. They were, but now who knows.

Rental companies know who you are and clearly they hand over the info when asked.Aside from using a rental car, has anyone been flashed either EU or UK and got a ticket?

They wouldn't need a skeleton licence for you, they still have your old record, it's just not a live record but it still exists.

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

vonhosen said:

They wouldn't need a skeleton licence for you, they still have your old record, it's just not a live record but it still exists.

But still, my German car is registered to me in Germany. The question is, are the Germans still exchanging information with the British? A rental car company would get a request from Plod and know who I was. If the cooperation isn’t present between the Governments then it wouldn’t matter, they wouldn’t know who I was to send a letter to Germany or assign points to any record.

[vonhosen]

Dortmund_911_Fanboy said:

vonhosen said:

They wouldn't need a skeleton licence for you, they still have your old record, it's just not a live record but it still exists.

But still, my German car is registered to me in Germany. The question is, are the Germans still exchanging information with the British? A rental car company would get a request from Plod and know who I was. If the cooperation isn’t present between the Governments then it wouldn’t matter, they wouldn’t know who I was to send a letter to Germany or assign points to any record.

You are better asking the Germans if they are going to share your information or not because that's their decision.
I'm just pointing out the position in relation to licencing & points in the UK.

[TheLoraxxZeus]

Dortmund_911_Fanboy said:

To be clear, I want to enjoy a civilised road trip in the UK, not break the land speed record. I just want to know how careful I should expect to be, given I’m used to much lower speed limits on B roads and much higher limits on motorways…

Can't speak for England but if you get fined for speeding in Scotland you really have to be unlucky or completely blind. Cameras can be seen a mile away, the mobile cameras are often in the same spots as well. That and tons of open road in Scotland has zero speed cameras.

Not sure about the whole EU/UK thing but you would be most likely be OK (in Scotland) if you find yourself going the wrong speed between one change of speed and another. So if you're up this way I wouldn't sweat it too much, even if you know the roads here just slap Google maps on anyway, it has all the speed traps with plenty of notice.

There are some hot routes in the country that are littered with cameras however if you're coming over in what I presume is a GT4 I have no idea why you would be on those roads anyway, they suck.

[Dortmund_911_Fanboy]

TheLoraxxZeus said:

Can't speak for England but if you get fined for speeding in Scotland you really have to be unlucky or completely blind. Cameras can be seen a mile away, the mobile cameras are often in the same spots as well. That and tons of open road in Scotland has zero speed cameras.

Not sure about the whole EU/UK thing but you would be most likely be OK (in Scotland) if you find yourself going the wrong speed between one change of speed and another. So if you're up this way I wouldn't sweat it too much, even if you know the roads here just slap Google maps on anyway, it has all the speed traps with plenty of notice.

There are some hot routes in the country that are littered with cameras however if you're coming over in what I presume is a GT4 I have no idea why you would be on those roads anyway, they suck.

It’s been 6 years since I drove in any capacity in the UK. In Germany, speed cameras are hidden, never painted anything but black, and are often on corners or in the back of a plain van.

Our B roads often have a 50-70kmh (30-40mph) limit. Sometimes up to 100kmh (60mph). The best twisties usually end up varying between the three levels. My most spectacular fine was in one of those variable areas. It’s a bit distracting to be honest.

I would like to head back to my old stomping grounds around Bristol, Bath and of course Cheddar Gorge. I just want to do some thinking about how cautious to be. Oh, and German tarmac isn’t always good, the grass isn’t always greener. If you want truly crappy tarmac - Belgium!